January Regional Senior Housing Directory 2018  |  The Senior Reporter     11

coming into your home setting. 

There are a number of local 

agencies that offer services 

with a sliding fee scale. There 

are several options for nutrition 

services: Meals on Wheels, 

Mom’s Meals (online, food 

delivery), Schwantz Home food 

delivery, etc. For other services, 

the Senior LinkAge Line and 

Age Well Arrowhead are good 

resources to get started if you 

don’t have a parish nurse to 

assist you. 

If you are a family member who 

needs help in making the decision 

for your elder family member, here 

are some Big Picture signs that 

seem very practical from www.

caring.com:

• Look for Big Red Flags: 

“close calls” in driving, falls, 

worsening of chronic health 

conditions, etc.

• Up-close signs might include: 

looking at the nutritional status 

of your loved one; is there 

significant weight loss or gain? 

Body odors or changes in 

appearance?

• Social isolation: Are their 

friends still calling? Do they 

leave the house? Who checks 

on them regularly?

• Financial signs: Are bills piling 

up? Unopened mail, over-

abundance of magazines, etc. 

Where’s the checkbook?

• Driving signs: Take a ride with 

your loved one. Examine the 

car.

• Explore the kitchen: Check the 

refrigerator for expired food. Is 

the garbage being taken out?

• Look around the inside of the 

house: Is it kept up? How does 

the bathroom look? Are the 

pathways clear?

• Walk around the outside of 

the house: newspapers in the 

bushes, uncut grass, weeds in 

flowerbeds are all signs that 

someone who is vulnerable may 

live there.

• Get input from the person’s 

health care provider (if you are 

able). Listen to their neighbors 

and friends.

The article on the noted website 

seems helpful for families starting 

this process. 
All in all, there is no single answer 

on when it is a good time to move. 

Each person has a different story 

and situation; some are more 

emergent than others. Don’t put off 

what needs to be done. Someone’s 

safety may be at stake.