Your mom is getting older and lives alone. You worry
that she may fall or become ill with no one around to help. Or your
father has always prided himself on his appearance, but lately his
clothes are not as clean as they once were and his grooming is poor.
As parents grow older, adult children face changes they
may not know how to address. You may have concerns about
your parents' safety and well-being and wonder how you can respect
your parents' choices about independence and safety. This article
will help you sort out what is happening and take stock of your
family's situation.
An assessment is a comprehensive review of a person's
mental, physical, environmental, social, and financial condition.
It helps establish his or her ability to remain safely independent.
It identifies risks, and offers options for reducing them.
A successful assessment will result in a comprehensive
plan for meeting needs and addressing problems. The findings
may help you conclude that change is needed for your parents' safety
and well-being, such as making new housing arrangements or getting
in-home assistance. Or an assessment could lead to solving problems
and helping a parent remain independent longer. A good plan can
result in fewer accidents, less illness, a longer life, more quality
of life, and greater independence. It is essential that your parents
participate fully in the discussion and decision-making about options.
It is possible for you to do an assessment on your own,
but professional services are available. They offer experience
in working through problems. Some hospitals and clinics offer geriatric
assessment centers or evaluation units in which a medical/social
work team looks at all aspects of an older person's health and life.
They can counsel you and your parent about assessment results and
offer practical assistance, such as linking you with local services
and housing options. You can also work with a geriatric care manager
who may provide similar services from an area agency on aging for
free or privately for a fee.
Professional assessments can take from three hours to several
days to complete. Even filling out a form with your parents
can take considerable time. What factors should you assess? Although
there may be slight variations, a thorough assessment should include
the topics listed below.
- Have your parents been diagnosed with any chronic diseases—for
example, diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, emphysema?
- What about other illnesses? These could be heart disease, stroke,
or cancer, for example.
- Have they experienced fractures or trauma, unusual weight gain
or loss, incontinence, balance problems?
- Do they have dental problems?
- Is there a list of the health professionals they are currently
seeing?
- Have your parents been diagnosed with any psychiatric disorders,
such as depression, anxiety disorder, or psychosis?
- Has either been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or other
dementia?
- Are they alert? Do they have mood swings?
- Are there signs of extreme forgetfulness, wandering off, confusion,
disorientation, sadness, or loneliness?
- Have you noticed a decreased interest in reading, writing,
communicating, and maintaining friends, or less interest in life
in general?
- Check all the medicines your parents take. Note times per day
and doses.
- Are they able to take medications as directed, and do they
know how to avoid interactions?
- Do they have problems using medicine properly?
- How is your parents' ability to move around their home? Is
there a need for adaptive aids, such as a cane, walker, or grab
bars in the bathroom?
- Do they have special dietary needs?
- Are they able to dress, bathe, get up from a chair easily,
use a toilet, use the phone, climb stairs, get help in an emergency,
shop, prepare meals, do housework, drive safely?
- How is the neighborhood?
- Is their home safe (e.g., hazards such as throw rugs; adaptive
aids; smoke alarms)?
- Are they able to avoid telephone scams and door-to-door fraud?
- Can they maintain their house and yard?
- Do they have the names, addresses, and phone numbers of key
family members, friends, and neighbors readily available?
- Do your parents have frequent visitors or see friends?
- Do your parents go to a senior center? Do they go out of the
house for social reasons?
- Do they belong to organizations, including faith-based groups?
- Do family members live nearby? Do they see these relatives
regularly?
- How is their overall appearance/personal hygiene? Do they routinely
brush teeth, trim nails, shave, wash and comb hair?
- Are their clothes clean, and are they dressed appropriately?
- What insurance do they have?
- Do you have general ideas about your parents' personal assets?
- Are there any legal documents such as trusts, living wills,
durable or other powers of attorney? Do both of them, and you,
know where important records are kept?
- Do your parents have a financial plan?
- Are there outside sources of financial assistance for them?
- Do your parents pay bills on time and make reasonable financial
decisions?
- Do your parents have hobbies?
- What about television/radio programs, reading preferences?
- Do they exercise regularly?
- Does either of them play a musical instrument or speak more
than one language?
- What are their favorite topics of conversation? Their important
life events, spiritual backgrounds, accomplishments, social activities?
Books you might find in your local library include:
The Aging Parent Handbook. Virginia Schomp. Mass Market
Paperbacks, 1997.
How to Care for Aging Parents. Virginia Morris. New York:
Workman, 1996.
How to Care for Your Parents. Nora Jean Levin. New York:
W.W. Norton, 1997.
Other Resources
Eldercare
Locator
The Eldercare Locator Web site has information on how to locate
the nearest area agency on aging and a wide variety of community
services to support older adults. Toll free: 1-800-677-1116.
National
Council on Aging BenefitsCheckUp
A free service to help older Americans and their families identify
state and federal assistance programs. The service is confidential
and takes only a few minutes to complete.
Copyright 1995-2003, AARP. All rights
reserved. |
