As people age, they begin to lose the ability to do the same things they could when they were younger, and basic tasks like cooking and cleaning suddenly become much harder. Unfortunately, many elders might not even be aware that they’re falling behind with their daily needs and remain adamant about living alone. For this senior mother-in-law , it got to a point where her daughter-in-law got food poisoning just from eating at her house. Concerned for her child’s safety, the DIL forbade her to feed the grandkid at all. However, neither MIL nor her husband abided by her decision. As people age, simple tasks like cooking become much harder Share icon Image credits: CDC / unsplash (not the actual photo) For this senior woman, it got to a point where her food poisoned DIL and her baby Share icon Share icon Share icon Share icon Image credits: Helena Lopes / unspalsh (not the actual photo) Share icon Image source: SeniorSubstance7526 There are many reasons why the elderly stop taking care of themselves The state of the senior woman’s home that the author of the story is painting can be described as elder self-neglect. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services refers to this term as “behavior of an elderly person that threatens his/her own health or safety and generally manifests itself by failure to provide himself/herself with adequate food, water, clothing, shelter, personal hygiene, medication (when indicated), and safety precautions.” There are many reasons why the elderly stop taking care of themselves, including dementia, depression, disease, poverty, and isolation. In many cases, the person will refuse to seek help because they might be in denial, feel ashamed about needing assistance, or be worried about losing their independence. Sometimes such behavior even affects and endangers the general public when they increase the risk of a house
fire or their environment breeds diseases. However, if the senior is deemed clinically capable of making their own decisions, they have the right to refuse help, and protective services providers have to respect their choice. What’s even more concerning is that self-neglect is not only damaging to one’s health but can also be life-threatening . A study in 2009 that analyzed over 10,000 seniors discovered that a lack of self-care was associated with a significant increase in premature death. Additional research found that such behavior increases the risk of elder abuse. Usually, the tendencies of self-neglect progress, therefore, it’s important to keep an eye on the elderly It can be hard to know how or when to intervene when your loved one is experiencing self-neglect. A social worker is often the best person to decide this and can step in when family members or
Friends alert them. Usually, illnesses and conditions like dementia, Parkinson’s disease, or depression progress, leading to a gradual loss of ability or interest in self-care. Therefore, it’s important to keep an eye on them, even if a self-neglecting senior doesn’t officially require outside care. To help them even more, people around them can learn what signs and symptoms to look for as well as reduce their isolation by visiting them frequently, calling regularly, and volunteering to drive them where they need to go. Sometimes, just allowing them to talk helps, and together, you might even find solutions to their lack of abilities. It’s also a good idea to stay alert to any changes that might indicate an issue with the aging person. Their newspapers might be piling up on the porch, or their loved animals might be losing weight and looking uncared for. The seniors themselves can try to prevent self-neglect as they age by staying in touch with their close circle, becoming involved in community activities, getting to know their neighbors, and scheduling regular medical appointments. People assured the author in the comments that she’s not overreacting ADVERTISEMENT Publisher