Warning Signs It’s Time to Seek Help for Seniors

When they start missing the idea of paying their bills or taking care of their household responsibilities, failure to make their medical appointments, or utilizing the emergency department on more regular basis. I tell families all the time, I said, "Hey, if your mom or dad knows the name of the fire department, the guys, and what days they work, and when they come to pick people up" — because too often our families are calling the fire department for the first response all the time.

I mean, just in the greater Phoenix area last year, there were over 80,000 lift assist calls that our fire departments collectively answered the call and ran the trucks out to people's houses. So people are calling the fire department and using emergency services all the time. So that's a big one.

Their medication management becomes a real challenge. Too often our seniors have various providers writing prescriptions, and so some of those prescriptions are getting filled, are not getting filled, are not taking their medicines on a regular time. That's an issue.

Transportation, or the lack thereof, becomes a problem. Isolation and depression, changes in mood become an issue. The household maintenance is a problem, and of course personal hygiene.