Something as simple as an unexplained bruise, confusion during everyday tasks, or bad judgment about money are just a few indicators. Maybe your usually neat mother has stopped cleaning the house, or rotting food has gathered in your father’s sink without him noticing. Look for these additional signs in your loved one that help you decide when to get help with senior care:

• Sleeping for most of the day.
• Weight gain from forgetting they have eaten meals, then eating again.
• Weight loss from forgetting to eat.
• Drastic mood swings or changes.
• Difficulty walking or standing up after being seated.
• Scuff marks or wear on walls, door jams, and furniture used to steady himself/herself when walking through the home.
• Forgetting to take medications or taking incorrect dosages.
• Unusual or unpleasant body odor from not showering or bathing as often, including a persistent odor of urine on the clothes or around the house.
• Lack of or obvious neglect of grooming, such as messy hair, long nails, not brushing or flossing teeth and dirty or stained clothing.
• Unopened mail piles or a mailbox that’s full and overflowing.
• Bounced checks and late payment notices in the mail.
• Mysterious dents and scratches on automobiles.
• Trouble driving a car.
• Forgetting to turn off appliances, blow out candles or extinguish a pipe, cigars or cigarettes if the senior smokes.