Is Mom or Dad safe to live alone? Signs that someone Elderly may need a new living situation

BLOOMFIELD, N.J., Nov. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- As the holidays approach and families gather, many will face the situation of an aging parent or relative. Along with the joys of the family reunion will come the realization, and questions, as to how mom or dad are coping and can they continue to live alone and care for themselves.

"It is a very difficult discussion for adult children and parents to have," says Dr. Lynne Katzmann, president of Juniper Communities that owns and operates the Juniper Village assisted living and memory care communities, "especially since you want to have it while the elderly are still in the beginning stages of a disease such as Alzheimer's, while they still have some capacity to participate in the legal and financial aspects of their future care."

Signs that your parent or elderly relative may need assistance include:

  -- Mail: Is there unopened mail, unpaid bills, late or cutoff notices left unattended?

  -- Refrigerator: What does it look like inside? Is there food? Are the expiration dates current on items?

  -- Personal appearance: How is your loved one's physical appearance? How is their weight? Are their clothes clean? Is their hair washed and kept?

  -- Medication: Ask your loved one to take you through their medication for the day. What is each pill for, how often do they take it? Check the bottles and refill information to ensure that the medications are current.

Most importantly, be an active listener. Ask open-ended questions, not just yes/no answers, about how they are doing, who their friends are, what social activities they have attended lately, what they do for enjoyment. Make a mental note about their state of mind so that in the future, you have a frame of reference to look back on should you think a problem is arising.