What Activities of Daily Living Might Your Elderly Parent Need Help With?

There are many major illnesses that affect the elderly.
Some of these illnesses include Parkinson’s disease, cancer, dementia, and heart disease. Unfortunately, with many of these diseases, the elderly person needs help with their activities of daily living (ADLs). As a family caregiver, it is important to know what ADLs your elderly loved one needs help with. If you can’t help with them all, that is alright. You can hire caregivers to work with your elderly loved one.

Bath Time

Bath time is one of the struggles that many elderly people have with various diseases. Your elderly loved one might need help showering or bathing and drying themselves off. It is important to ensure your elderly loved one doesn’t slip in the tub or shower or outside of it. You and caregivers can work together to make sure your elderly loved one is staying safe during bath time.

Getting Dressed

Your elderly loved one might also need help getting dressed. This is one of the activities of daily living that is a struggle for many elderly people. It requires stretching, flexibility, mobility, and much more. Unfortunately, there are many elderly people suffering from diseases that won’t admit they need help getting dressed. They may wear the same clothes day after day. This can lead to infections and skin rashes. However, if you or caregivers offer to assist your elderly loved one with getting dressed, it can help them.

Moving Around

Your elderly loved one might have mobility issues, as well. They might need help going to the bathroom, moving around their house, going to town, or just with walking in general. There is medical equipment that could help your elderly loved one to be somewhat mobile. However, that isn’t always helpful. If your elderly loved one needs additional assistance with mobility, be sure you or their caregivers are offering this type of help.

Eating

Another one of the activities of daily living that your elderly loved one might need help with is eating. There are many elderly people who can’t eat well on their own. They may not be able to grip the utensils. They may not be able to chew or swallow due to medical issues. If your elderly loved one is having trouble eating, it is important to find out why this is happening. After getting the answer, you can make a plan to get your elderly loved one to eat well again.

Conclusion

There are many activities of daily living that are often affected by various illnesses. If your elderly loved one needs help with any of the above-mentioned ADLs, be sure you or caregivers are giving them the help they need.