10 Common behaviors of the Elderly prior to needing intervention.

My children say Nursing Homes are like orphanages for Old people.

When children are in preschool we attribute certain behaviors with their age that we accept. They like to watch certain programs on television. They like certain games and clothing appropriate for their age. We do the same thing with Teenagers, ie, they text, listen to loud music, sleep late, etc. When it comes to elderly people I have noticed certain behavior they exhibit prior to that final slide. Age is really just a number. I have seen these things happen in 70 year olds or 85 year olds a few years before they need intervention or pass on.

1) They wear heavier clothing even in the summer and always seem to be cold. All these people cannot have a thyroid problem.

2) They start giving their stuff away.

3) They fall asleep in the middle of the day.

4) Their gate (or walk) seem to change

5) They believe what their friends tell them as gospel.   These are the same people who told you 30 years ago, "Would you jump off a bridge if your friends were going to."

6) The unconsciously smack their lips. 

7) They have no patience. It's almost as if they know their time is limited so they can't seem to wait for anything, either that or they have no sense of time.

8) They lose their ambition. They seem to tire easier and want to do less and less. Even very independent people begin to prefer being taken care of or having other do things for them.

9) They repeat themselves and become more and more forgetful.

10) They have a very difficult time dealing with changes or learning anything new.

I have noticed these things happening prior to weigh loss, changes in hygiene or housekeeping that you see later when you need to step in and take control of a loved one. Accepting all these changes as a stage rather than something that you take personally will help you deal with the changes you see in a person you at one time admired or feared. Just like you accept that your Teenager will drive you crazy, you should accept the same with the elderly. It's just a stage they are going through. If your lucky enough to live that long you can look forward to driving your children crazy too.

I hope when I get really old they play good music in the nursing home my kids put me in. Won't it be cool to walk into a nursing home and hear "Smells like Teen Spirit".