As your or a loved one age, it can be hard to take care of things as well as you did in the past. It can be hard to tell when it’s time to ask for help or start looking into in home care agencies, but if you are aware of the warning signs, you can be proactive in talking to your family about your concerns for yourself or a loved one.

Appearance
If you or a loved one are having difficulty taking care of your physical appearance, it may be an indication that you need help. This can manifest through not being able to wash clothes, having difficulty bathing or lost weight from not being able to feed yourself as well as you need to.

Memory loss
It’s normal to forget things every now and then, but as you or your loved one ages, it’s very important to pay attention to memory loss because it could be an early sign of Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. If little things, such as the location of the TV remote, are being forgotten, you may still be okay without help. Once you or your loved one start forgetting things like names, words or where you are, though, you may need to start talking to your family about needing a caregiver.