5 Signs Someone Requires Special Needs At-Home Care

Folks who have loved ones or friends with special needs want to see them thrive as much on their own as possible. However, it's common for people in these situations to require at least some special needs at-home care. If you're worried this may be the case, you should assess the situation based on the following five criteria.

Nutritional Issues 

Meal preparation and food choices can be among the bigger challenges for individuals with special needs. This often leads to nutritional problems. Depending on their circumstances, they might forget to eat or overeat. Likewise, they might select foods without much nutritional value. Special needs home care workers can assist with meal preparation and steer clients away from less desirable food choices.

Poor Hygiene

Especially if someone has physical issues, staying clean and groomed can be difficult. This is also the case with individuals who have some emotional regulation concerns or mental issues. You may see that they wear the same clothes for days on end because they struggle to develop a rotation, too. If you're seeing signs of hygiene problems, it's worth discussing at least a limited level of special needs at-home care.

Disorganized or Dirty Personal Spaces

Everyone experiences some level of disorganization. However, that shouldn't be a constant, and the problems shouldn't compound over time. If you're always seeing dirty dishes when you visit, for example, that's a sign of potential trouble. The same goes for large collections of items without any storage system. Stuff shouldn't sit around in random spaces, especially where people need to walk.

Social Isolation

Many people with special needs struggle to socialize. Some may not get the necessary prompts to socialize, especially if they've been in relatively isolated situations for long periods. Others may engage only to experience difficulties getting along with others and then withdraw. Special needs home care workers can provide basic contact. Not only should this improve the client's overall social isolation, but it serves as a check against the possibility something might happen and no one will be there to help until it's too late.

Sores

Particularly when someone has mobility issues, they may need to be ambulatory and active for at least part of the day. If they don't get around well enough, they could develop sores where their bodies sit against beddings or other surfaces too much. Special needs home care workers can help them move a bit more to address these concerns.

For more info, contact a company like COMPASS Homecare.