Talking to a loved one about care, conversations starters

With families spread outacross the county, many of usmay not be able to be togetherwith our loved ones as oftenas we would like. But thatshould not keep you fromtaking the time to assessyour loved one’s care needs.In telephone conversations,gently probe for informationabout the person’s healthand well-being. Below is alist of sample questionsthat are key indicators or warning signs tohelp determine if your family members are in need of additionalcare or assistance.• What was eaten for breakfast? If your loved one cannot rememberwhat he/she ate for breakfast that morning, forgot to eatbreakfast or the meal appears to lack nutritious value, a problemDid you go to the beauty salon to get your hair cut? Did you usethe new shower gel I bought you? These are good “backdoor”questions to finding out whether or not your loved one isremembering to take care of his/her hygiene. A lack of personalhygiene is often an early sign that your loved one may need acaregiver to aid in these tasks.• Did you give any thought to the conversation we had last nightabout Debbie coming to visit you? If your loved one cannotremember the last conversation you had or is repeating stories,he/she may also be having difficulty when communicating withstrangers (i.e. telephone repair man, bank teller, etc…).• Did you make it to your weekly bridge club game with the girlslast week? An early sign of depression is withdrawal from socialactivities. A caregiver may provide the comfort that your loved onecraves or encourage involvement in activities outside the home.• Did you get the oil changed in your car? Seniors often do notrealize when their driving skills may be impaired. Finding out ifhe/she is keeping up with maintenance on the vehicle is a greatway to find out if he/she may need a caregiver to start runningerrands and personally drive the senior to his/her appointments.• Is your loved one speaking normally? Differences in speechpatterns are warning signs for medical problems that should belooked into immediately.These are just a sampling of the questions that could help youassess your loved one’s needs. To see more questions and download free assessment, go to www.comfortkeepers.com