Dallas County Living Well Magazine Winter 2015 | Page 47

5. They have forgotten the basics of hygiene: If you notice
that your parent is wearing the
same clothing day in and day
out or that their hair or skin appears dirty on a fairly regular
basis, they may have lost the
motivation, ability and/or forethought to look after them self. Living alone, they may feel like they
don’t have to dress up or clean
up for anyone. Worse yet, they
may have forgotten––or simply no
longer care––that such personal
hygiene and cleanliness is an important part of daily living and
maintaining one’s good health.
6. They appear in inappropriate clothing: While you may not
share your mother or father’s sense
of style, there is cause for concern
if your parent dons summer clothing in the dead of winter or leaves
the house in a nightgown and slippers for a trip to the store. This often happens when the elderly are
suffering from confusion and lose
the ability to have discretion in
social situations. In this situation,
wardrobe can be the least of the
concerns as the problem manifests in other dangerous ways.

Sophoan Sorn photo

7. There are signs of forgetfulness in the home: Confusion
can also show up in the kitchen

and can prove to be deadly if
not dealt with quickly. All too
often there are stories of older
people who accidentally burned
their houses down