elderly lady age 75 living alone my mother in law gets up in the morning and has a yackult drink for breakfast, for dinner has half a sandwich and half for tea, she is capable of cooking but wont cooker never been used. eldest daughter does her shopping and pays her bills, mother never goes out sits at a table all day, will not get bathed, or any other personal hygeine i today going down to get her in bath because my husband wont bath her which is understandable. i feel she is really under weight any suggestions what to do.
2007-11-08 17:10:02 · 6 answers · asked by Lynn C 4 in Family & Relationships ➔ Family
been to the doctors and nothing up with her, she wont socialise at all, she doesnt even ackknowledge great grand kids, she just sits there letting her son and daughter do every thing, she doesnt dust hoover nothing, she even wees in a bucket, because she will not go upstairs to toilet, when my husband caught her doing this she just told him to piss off.
2007-11-08 17:41:32 · update #1
we tried micowave meals she says she cant use microwave even suggested meals on wheels and she refuses because it costs, im going today and she is going in bath and im going to get her to change bed with me and also cook with me a meal i think i am going to have to be a bit hard.
2007-11-08 17:45:23 · update #2
Take her to a doctor, perhaps she's depressed. Quite common among the elderly, lack of appetite, lack of care for the self can be signs of depression. Of course, there could be an underlying medical issue as well. The woman needs a doctor ASAP.
2007-11-08 17:23:11 · answer #1 · answered by some female 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I can only guess that she is suffering from a form of depression and maybe has lost that enthusiasm for life. if she is reluctant to go to the doctor you could pay a visit to her doctor yourself in confidence and say you are concerned about her health.The doctor could get her in on the pretence of a flu jab or another routine screening to check her out thoroughly. If she drinks a yakult she may have seen the adverts that suggest it improves health or is it vitality? so this may suggest that she is keen to keep healthy. If your mother in law is does not look after herself with bathing because she is unable it may be that she is entitled to visits from nurses that come to the home.. After the doctor has done his assesment things should become clearer. Maybe she could be encouraged to be taken out somewhere even if it is just a short car journey to start off with. if she is perfectly able and not depressed she could be lonely and gives reasons for family members to visit. If this is a possibility then try and go around there without the sole reason of doing something for her (When the shopping is done) She may need reasons to get up in the morning even if it is to walk to the local shop to buy the sandwich etc. Good luck
2007-11-08 17:52:54 · answer #2 · answered by needtoknowjo 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Older people often have very small appetites & if they live alone not wanting to cook is common. Sometimes it's the effort of cooking for one, sometimes they are afraid to use the stove if they are a bit frail. My Nan was the same, she also stopped washing/bathing & the family had to do it for her. The other option is getting home help, in my experience it's better to pay for your own than the council provided carers as they are so overworked & rushed. (Not critisizing the carers here!) She may also me depressed so get a doctor out. to see her. I worked in nursing home for 13 years & we used to give underweight residents build up drinks such as Ensure or Complan.
2007-11-08 17:23:22 · answer #3 · answered by Mimkat hate the new Yahoo Answers so has retired. 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Can you at least make some simple meals (casseroles and such) and then seal single-servings with one of those suck-wrap machines so all she has to do is take one out of the freezer and pop it into a pot of boiling water or into a microwave?
She needs some kind of social involvement. Does she belong to a church? Can you arrange to get her there? A lot of churches offer their own bus service and a wide range of activities.
Can you try to tap into the system to get her some occasional assistance? A visiting nurse to come by to bathe and check her over? At least get the meals-on-wheels truck to come by there... if nothing else just to check on her?
It sounds like she isn't too far off from needing assisted living.
2007-11-08 17:40:06 · answer #4 · answered by revsuzanne 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I understand fully what you are going through. I'm currently taking care of my 75 yr old father and I know what you are going through. Ask her if you can take her for a physical, and speak to her doctor about your concerns. Some elderly people get to a point that they don't eat as much as they used to. Try getting her to take some vitamins. Also see if there is a senior citizen group in your area that she might be interested in. Good luck and God Bless
2007-11-08 17:25:47 · answer #5 · answered by Just a friend! 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i think its time to get home help for her!
2007-11-10 08:19:53 · answer #6 · answered by cher 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋