Hickory Creek Healthcare FoundationHickory Creek Healthcare Foundation

Senior Information & Resources

Recognizing and Handling Elder Changes

Look for and recognize the changes that can occur in an aging family member who is having trouble coping.
  • Difficulty driving.
  • Increasing falls in the home.
  • Difficulty in shopping for and preparing meals.
  • Loss of appetite.
  • Difficulty in bathing and personal hygiene.
  • Confusion.
  • Forgetting to take or taking pills too often.
  • Social isolation.
  • Depression.

Don’t wait to talk to your family member because you find it embarrassing.

Some symptoms can be treated by early intervention. Medication may help or perhaps the various medications are working against each other. Talk to your aging relative and get help! Make an appointment with a doctor for an assessment that should include both a physical and mental examination.

Once you have a diagnosis, deal with it!! Don’t procrastinate.

Your aging family member may not want to cooperate. It’s hard to come to terms with the loss of independence but there are solutions to every problem. If you feel your relative’s safety and wellbeing are severely compromised at home, see our “How to Choose a Nursing Home” for advice.

Recognizing Elder Needs

If you have responsibility for an elderly relative or an elderly friend, stop and consider these factors.

Problems may arise from:

  • Insufficient income for rent, mortgage, food or utilities.
  • No money to pay for health care, prescriptions and dental care.
  • Trouble getting to doctors’ appointments and to the store.
  • No friends or lack of social connection to the local community.
  • Vulnerability to frauds and scams.
  • Not knowing what services may be available.
  • Elder abuse or domestic abuse.

Resources for Additional Help

Indiana and Ohio - DIAL 211 for information on a whole range of social services for Indiana and Ohio residents. Counselors can connect you to local resources, such as home-delivered meals; personal care and chore services; caregiver respite services; transportation; homemaker services; senior employment; social and educational opportunities; and the long term care ombudsman.

Indiana - If the 211 community helpline is not available in your area, contact your local Area Agency on Aging. Go to the Indiana government site (PDF) and find your county. You will see a listing of all agencies with address, telephone and other contact information.

Ohio - If the 211 community helpline is not available in your area, contact your local Area Agency on Aging. Go to the Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging web site and click on your county to find the address, telephone and other contact information.

http://benefitscheckup.org
National Council on Aging sponsored website on programs to help pay for prescription, healthcare, utilities and more; assistance with paying for Medicare Part D drugs; and senior housing assistance locator.

http://seniorjournal.com
U.S. government site on all things elderly, including caregiver resources; consumer protection; diseases; Medicare plan comparisons and prescription plan comparisons; end of life issues; housing and more.

http://www.in.gov/fssa
Indiana Department of Family and Social Services Administration site that offers information on programs and services for the aging, including financial assistance.

http://www.goldenbuckeye.com
Ohio Department of Aging site that offers information for caregivers, free assessments, local agency help, care options, long-term care consumer guide, Medicare and Medicaid information.