November 23, 2010

Comfort Keepers of Wallingford, CT Would Like To Say Happy Thanksgiving and to Remind Family Members and Caregivers to Take the Time to Assess their Elderly Seniors Homecare Needs During the Holidays

By Carol Carbutti

We live in a very mobile society where families don’t always live in the same town or state as their senior in home parents. Unlike the “old days”, entire families throughout America don’t have the opportunity to come together as often as they would like. That is why this Thanksgiving holiday has become an important time to take stock of your elderly homecare parent’s health and everyday living capabilities. Family gatherings with elderly family members from out of town, or even the more frequent family phone calls from long distance relatives, are a perfect time to ‘check up’ on our aging seniors who live on their own.


It is not uncommon for the senior’s adult children, especially the Baby Boomer generation, to have some concerns about how their elderly parents are doing. In fact, according to the Family Caregiver’s Alliance, families provide 80 percent of the long-term in home caregiving assistance in this country. During this holiday season, while you are enjoying your visits or on the phone with your aging loved ones, you should make good use of your time by reviewing their living status and basic healthcare issues.

Using Your Five Senses
Family members will notice that many of your holiday traditions will tempt an aging parents five senses. These same senses can be put to use while evaluating the status of senior family members. Below is a checklist using each of your senior citizens five senses to determine if your elderly parents are in need of additional companionship or personal care assistance:

Sight – Looking at a retired senior’s appearance can be a sign that they are being limited either physically or mentally from completing otherwise normal daily tasks. Watch for things like poor personal hygiene, clothes with stains and a disorganized or dirty house.

Sound – Listening to what your senior talks about and how an elderly parent speaks can tell you a lot about their current mental status. You should not assume that “old age” is causing these issues. Do they call you by name? Are they speaking normally? Are they staying involved in outside activities?

Smell – All caregivers and homemaking companions should use their nose as an indicator to determine if their in home aging mom or dad has been bathing properly.  Family members should also make sure their elderly parents are able to keeping up with their house cleaning.  Another sign of difficulty would be if you notice that your retired parents have spoiled food in their kitchen and refrigerator.

Taste – Tasting their food and sorting through their medications can help you determine if they are eating healthy or taking expired medications. Look at expiration dates and for fresh and stocked pantry items.

Touch – A simple hug can tell you if your senior dad is fragile or losing weight. You also need to check their skin to see if it is soft and if the color is normal.  If you see any bruising or tearing you need to report this to your elderly parents’ primary doctor immediately.  

Use this time to plan ahead for unforeseen events – Take this time to establish advanced directives including establishing a power of attorney, will, living will, etc. There is no such thing as being too prepared when it comes to the homecare and safety of your elderly parents.

Remember, the holiday season is a time for family, togetherness and establishing lifelong memories. By taking the time to address these senior issues before they reach the crisis stage, your caregiving family will have the much-needed sense of security, comfort and hopefully the ability to create new memories with your healthy aging loved ones for many years to come!

Carol Carbutti, owner of Comfort Keepers a non-medical in home agency for seniors in Wallingford, CT would like to mention that we now service New Haven, Hamden (Zip Code 06514), North Haven, Cheshire, Durham, Middlefield, Middletown, Meriden, Waterbury, Southington, Kensington, Berlin, Newington, New Britain and Bristol.  If you have any questions please call (203) 697-1030 or email us at denisegryzbek@comfortkeepers.com

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