How to Evaluate the Needs of a Senior

The best way to evaluate the needs of a senior family member is to hire a professional geriatric care manager to come into the senior's home and do an evaluation. A geriatric care manager will assess a senior's health and diet, capacity to complete daily activities and ability to function cognitively.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Have a professional geriatric care manager do an evaluation of a senior family member to determine his or her abilities and needs.
2. Keep in mind that geriatric care managers are often nurses, social workers and psychologists by training, with an expertise in geriatrics. They charge privately for their services.
3. Look at the senior's health status. Does the senior require more care than can be given in the home? Or is he or she OK having a home care worker come into the house daily or weekly?
4. Evaluate the senior's use of medication. Does he or she remember to take it? Is the senior taking the right type of medication?
5. Take into consideration a senior's dietary needs. Is he or she eating appropriately, and is he or she able to manage special dietary requirements? For example, if the senior has diabetes, is he or she able to shop for and cook diabetic meals and snacks?
6. Examine the senior's daily activities. Can the senior manage activities such as bathing, dressing, using the toilet and transferring in and out of the bed or chairs? Is the senior still able to cook and clean for himself or herself?
7. Check out the senior's mobility. Can he or she walk, with or without assistance? Is the senior at risk for falls?
8. Be sure to check the senior's emotional status. Many seniors become depressed or lonely when living alone.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure that a professional geriatric care manager, social worker or psychologist does a mental status exam to determine if the senior is able to function cognitively. You want to know if the senior is oriented to where he or she is and who he or she is.
• Check related sites for resources regarding geriatric care managers.