Conviva Care Centers Share Advice for Checking in with Senior Family Members as we Reunite this Summer

As we enter summer, families will be getting together for long-awaited reunions, parties, and general socializing. Although light is at the end of the pandemic tunnel, Conviva Care Centers remind everyone that diligence about senior family members’ health is an ongoing process.

The coming months are a great time to assess the well-being of an elderly member of your family, a friend, or a neighbor. These are seven ways you can assess your loved one’s well-being when you have the chance to visit with them:

• Check the fridge. Take stock of what is stored in the refrigerator and pantry. Eating nutritional foods is especially important for seniors, so observe any loss in weight, fatigue, depression, or a lack of motivation.

• What’s coming up. Sit down and take a moment to look at the calendar together to remind them of upcoming doctor appointments and important health check-ins. This could be a good time to ask about what they do daily to keep their mind sharp. 

• Take a look around. Observe if the house is clean and items are stored properly. Through a succession of visits, you will have a good idea about their daily habits. If poor trends are consistent, it might be nothing more than a lack of tidiness or it could be something more serious, such as a possible physical impairment or a mental health condition.

• Medication checkup. Taking medications on time is vital. Make sure pills are taken on time, as prescribed, and check the medicine cabinet to see whether enough pills are in stock. Also make sure prescriptions have not expired. If there are concerns in these areas, call their primary care doctor.

• Tune in on hearing. As reunions or drop-in visits take place, observe how your senior family member reacts to background noise. Can they carry a conversation at a normal level, or do they raise their voice to be heard? It’s easy to turn up the volume on a Zoom call, but it’s harder to hide hearing loss when speaking face to face.

• Take a test drive. Independence through driving is an important part of a senior’s life. Take a test drive and observe awareness, coordination, reflexes, and their ability to make split-second decisions such as braking adequately and not missing stop or yield signs.

• Have a heart to heart. A tell-tale sign of how a senior family member really feels is through a heart-to-heart chat. Are they depressed, withdrawn or unwilling to answer key questions? If you feel help is required, consult with a behavioral health specialist.

Conviva Care Centers offer a holistic view of healthcare based on building a strong relationship with each patient as an individual to help them live their lives fully.

To learn more, visithttp://www.ConvivaCareCenters.comor call 1 (833)-CONVIVA.