Caregivers Corner: How to determine if your loved one has growing care needs
In the blink of an eye, the holiday season has come and gone. Many of us have spent time with aging loved ones and changes in their health have now been revealed.
You may feel a sense of dread about what may be coming next and, perhaps selfishly, you may wonder how you're going to be able to fit in additional caregiving responsibilities with everything else you have going on in your already over-scheduled life.
There are many resources available to support you along this road. You can find countless disease-related organizations, government agencies, community-based care options, as well as long-term care solutions in your community. You are not alone. Duke Health offers free connections to many different resources through their Caregiver Support Program and Engagement Specialist.
If you have found your loved one is showing any of the warning signs listed below, hop on over to ABC11's Caregivers Corner to get support from the nearly 2,500 other people in our community who are faced with similar challenges.
1. Forgetfulness
2. A cluttered or disorganized house
3. Poor personal hygiene
4. Trouble getting up from a seated position
5. Poor diet or weight loss
6. Loss of interest in hobbies and activities
7. New dings and dents in the automobile
8. Unpaid or overpaid bills
9. Unexplained bruising
10. Growing healthcare needs
Being a caregiver is such an important role, one you may take on many times in your life. It is a job that you probably did not ask for, but it is a job that is part of being a human being. Former first lady Rosalynn Carter believes there are only four types of people in the world: those who have been caregivers, who are caregivers, who will be caregivers, and who will need caregivers. Although you may be looking at this time with trepidation, there will in fact be many tender moments throughout the flurry of tasks. And these will become memories you will look upon with fondness and gratitude in the years to come.
