What signs of aging are of concern as we're supporting our senior loved ones? L.E. "Ellie" Brown from Chateau Retirement Communities joins Suzanne to talk about the warning signs and facing up to the various dynamics of denials, not just from ourselves, but also our loved ones.
Ellie shared her personal, family experiences with warning signs. She says, "For my mom, her health was clearly in decline. She wasn't recovering as quickly from colds. She was seemingly depressed at times. So that was a sign to me. Not as vibrant anymore. Then I started hearing about falls, which — she was minimizing the falls.
"Those crafty little parents of ours, they fib. They lie about the falls. My dad minimizes it, and then he's got bruises all up and down [his body]. My mom did the same. And the compensation, the lack of sleeping, cognitive – telling the same story over and over again, not remembering, the short-term [memory] going. But also I don't think we pay enough attention to the appetite and the depression as well, so that these are some significant signs. More doctor visits, more of that kind of thing."
Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years.
Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton. Visit them online at https://www.chateauretirement.com or call 800.960.1944.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.