mom-phone

Knowing When Mom Needs Care

Moms spend their lives caring for others. As a child you depend on your mom for almost everything, from that bowl of soup when you’re sick to that shoulder to cry on when you’re upset. But as children grow older, so do moms—and eventually, Mom may be the one who needs caring for.

How will you know when Mom needs help? Here’s a simple first step: Pick up the phone and call her. Mother’s Day is a perfect excuse, and you can kill two birds with one stone—you can thank her for being such a great mom, and also gather some important information. Here are some good questions to ask to help you understand your mother’s state of overall health and well-being.

1.    How are you eating these days? What are you having for dinner
tonight?
2.    How are you sleeping?
3.    What did you do yesterday?
4.    What do you have planned the rest of the week?
5.    How are you feeling? (Ask specifically about any health problems you
know she’s dealing with.)

You can also talk with her friends, relatives, neighbors and the clinic she visits regularly. If people close to her are worried for her well-being, if she forgets what she did yesterday or doesn’t seem to be eating properly, those are red flags that signal she may need caregiving.

Becoming a caregiver is no small undertaking. In fact, it can be overwhelming at times, and you may need help. When it comes time to give care to an older parent, UnitedHealthcare Medicare Solutions’ Solutions for Caregivers can provide you with helpful information and resources. Care advocates can make an assessment, provide a summary of findings and recommend a care plan.

Helpful Links:

As a caregiver, how should I talk to my loved one?
What makes caregivers successful?
What is the financial cost of caregiving for family caregivers?
As a caregiver, how should I talk to my family?

Are you caring for an older parent? What tips do you have for others who are doing the same? Leave a comment in the box below.

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Contributor

UHC Medicare Solutions

UnitedHealthcare Medicare Solutions provides health and well-being solutions that help Medicare beneficiaries live healthier and more secure lives. We offer an array of products and services such as Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare supplement plans, Part D prescription drug plans, employer retiree health services, and care coordination programs. Many of our products carry the AARP name.

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Comments

  1. Jamal

    I am a nurse & care for the elderly in a Nursing Home claeld Harmonee House. There is a very unique reason for the name but, I won’t go into detail as it is very lengthy. My husband was a victim of the dreaded Alzheimer’s Disease along with vascular dementia. He was a very strong, determined man, very set in his ways. He was just a little this side of brilliant as a building contractor in the construction of any kind of medical facilities IE; Hospitals, clinics, etc. Also built chemical laboratories. He loved traveling in RV’s after retiring. He was diagnosed with this disease quite awhile after I had suspected his problem because I could not get him to see his Doctor even though he had always been one for regular check ups, he was always told he was as healthy as anyone could be at his age. This was stamped in his mind & one thing he never forgot as long as he any bit of memory left . Over two years his doctor & I came up with every reason we could think of to get him into the clinic for tests. He had a traffic accident which warranted the need to be hospitalized (after walking away from many other traffic mishaps, driving without a DL, since it had been taken away from him, another huge fine, but fortunately, out of all the accidents (apprx. 20) no one else was hurt or, more importantly, killed) he was diagnosed & put on medication. He was so far advanced in the disease, the medication used for onset of the disease, did not help him. He had no hospital insurance, only medicare. At that time alot of procedures that were required, were not covered my medicare & our savings were depleted very rapidly. This is not the end of a very tragic story but, I will stop here. I have written this so people will be aware of the costs, mentally & financially, associated with this disease, that they maybe prepared should it ever, suddenly, pop up in their family. Make yourself aware of the signs & symptoms & get checked as quickly as possible if & when a sign is suspected. The medication for Alzheimer will help if it is started in early stages. It will make life so much easier for the unfortunate one & the care giver. Believe me, you will need all the help you can receive. I am a nurse & have taken care of patients with dementia & it is heartbreaking but, when it becomes a family member & you have to watch a mind deteriorate of a loved one, I can’t express enough how terrible this can be. Alzheimer’s Associations need all the help they can get, especially,financial.

    June 25th, 2012, 11:10 am

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