Post authored by: Homethrive, a Chicago Bar Association partner organization
The holiday season is here, and while it is a festive time, many of you may be feeling worried and stressed. This can be especially true if you are supporting an aging loved one such as a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle, or someone with special needs.
As we end the year still in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic, our new partner Homethrive has some advice for those CBA members who are seeing their aging family members for the first time in a while. Arlene Schiff, Vice President of Homethrive, shares some concerning changes you may notice:
- Physical: Your loved one lost or gained too much weight. They’re not practicing proper hygiene and/or taking care of themselves.
- Balance: Your loved one is holding on to furniture or relying more on a cane or walker to get around. They’re shuffling their feet instead of walking.
- Hearing: Your loved one strains to hear someone speaking to them.
- Vision: Your loved one has trouble reading or avoids reading altogether.
- Home environment: The rooms in your loved one’s home are cluttered and/or unclean. Their bills aren’t paid or are stacked up and stuffed in a drawer.
Noticing any one of these, or other changes or decline, can be stressful and distracting.
We are pleased to offer our members Dari by Homethrive to help. The Dari Digital Assistant is available 24/7 at no cost to all CBA members. Once registered, members can access helpful tips like these and many more on topics ranging from self-care to finding the right senior living community to caring for a loved one with dementia. Dari also offers coaching sessions to work one on one with an expert who understands the challenges of juggling work and other family responsibilities. Learn more about Dari here.
