Long Distance Caregiver: Elderly Self Neglect

  • Highlighted Service  •   2021

Jack walked in the front door, baffled by the smell of old sweat and rotten banana mixed together. His parents had always insisted on a tidy house, but now magazines littered the floor, the garbage overflowed with paper plates and the bananas were black. It had only been six months since he had been home. Dad shuffled towards him holding on to his walker, his clothes had stains on them, he could see a couple of weeks of facial hair growth, and the old sweat smell came from his dad.

Jack blurted out, “Dad, what has happened. The house looks awful.”

Dad withdrew, muttered about “none of anybody’s business.”

Jack smiled, took a deep breath, and realized he needed to assess the situation and work with his parents to convince them they needed help to manage their home and health if they wanted to stay home. But he did not have much time, five days was all he could get off from work. Being a long-distance caregiver brought unique challenges.

Jack identified many areas of self-neglect that can occur with the elderly:

  • hoarding
  • difficulty managing medication or doctor appointments
  • neglect of personal hygiene
  • messy house
  • confusion
  • dehydration.

Jack found a home care agency that would come in twice a week to help his parents shower, clean the house, run errands, drive them to doctor appointments, and cook healthy meals.

We at Care Plus Home Care specialize in assisting long-distance caregivers. We have a dedicated nursing staff that can be utilized as a resource and a group of trained caregivers who can come in to assist your loved ones. The office staff responds to all inquiries and with your loved one’s permission, we can keep you up to date on what is going on. Let us help your loved ones stay home and independent.

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