Elder Care Needs Assessment

As a family member ages, we often don't notice the subtle changes in functioning. When a crisis situation occurs, we then must think back to past behaviors and functioning to determine how the situation became so critical.

For a caregiver, checklists can help you to think about your family member in a practical and functional way. If you decide to work with an Information and Referral Specialist or Case Assistance Professional, having completed the checklists beforehand will help you to help the professional. If you decide to access services yourself, completing checklists can help you to determine what services may be needed and the levels of care that will best suit the needs of your family.

Do you have concern about your family member in these general areas?	Yes	No
Driving
Vision
Hearing
Socializing
Memory
Decisionmaking/Judgment
Balance
Strength
Energy
Health
Overall ability to function independently

 

From your observations, generally evaluate how your family member performs in these areas:
Activity	Can do independently	Needs some help	Needs a lot of help
Walking
Rising from a seated position
Getting out of bed
Getting in/out of car
Preparing a meal
Eating a meal
Toileting
Bathing
Getting dressed
Personal hygiene
Doing laundry
Using the telephone
Taking medications
Paying bills
Keeping track of finances
Driving
Shopping
Home maintenance
Household cleaning

Take a good look at your answers. If you see areas where your family member needs assistance, you may want to talk to a professional to help you make wise choices. There is no magic number of problems that should prompt you to get assistance. Each family is different and each person has a different level of tolerance. Use these checklists to help you see if there seem to be multiple problems and to alert you to whether or not functioning seems to be declining instead of remaining stable.

Caregiver Specialists are available to help. They have been hired by the local Councils or Departments on Aging. Call and discuss the results of your evaluation with them. If even that seems like to much to handle, they can assist you with getting help for your emotional and mental health needs as well. They will help you help both your family member and yourself. Remember to be completely honest with them. Don't be embarrassed to share with them how you are feeling and coping with your situation and any specific problems you may be having. Anything you share will be held in confidence and they will not judge you or the situation you find yourself in. They want to help you, which is why they have chosen this career.

You may also want to consider the following questions about yourself (the caregiver):

My needs	Yes	No
I feel capable of handling this situation myself
I have family that can help me
I have friends that can help me
I have a faith community that can help me
I am willing to ask others for help
I am feeling the stress of this situation already
I need someone to help me

What do your answers tell you? This should help you to decide what to do next. Take the answers provided in these checklists and use the answers to find services and assistance to help you help your family member and yourself.