Are you going home for the holidays? If you are, in addition to celebrating, take a moment to make sure your older loved ones are still capable of managing their daily lives on their own.

Often older adults need some help to stay safe and healthy, but don’t like to admit it.

To help determine if older people need help to stay at home, Visiting Angels, the nation’s leading network for quality, compassionate home care, has developed this simple checklist:

Check their appearance:

• Are they wearing appropriate clothing, is there a drastic change in their clothing choices, are their clothes clean?

• Is there any inappropriate body odor that could indicate difficulty bathing, washing their hair or brushing their teeth?

• Have they made any drastic changes to their appearance – wearing more or less makeup, not wearing dentures, etc?

Appearance is an immediate clue that the activities of daily living may be becoming more difficult. It’s also a potential indicator of deteriorating vision and possibly changes in mental acuity.

Take a look around the home:

• Is the refrigerator appropriately stocked, is there expired food in the pantry?

• Is the house at its usual level of tidiness or is there a change?

• Are dishes and laundry being taken care of in a timely manner?

• Ask about meals – are they eating enough? What about water intake?

• Are medications organized or are there expired medications or bottles all over the house?

A change in housekeeping and food choices can indicate difficulty managing shopping, cleaning or cooking.

Talk about their daily routine:

• Ask about activities and friends – are they still participating in things they enjoy? Are they able to get themselves to where they want to go?

• Ask about their doctor appointments – do they understand their medications? Have they skipped or missed appointments?

• Check on the bills – are they paying bills on time, or is the mail being ignored?

Giving up activities, missing appointments and ignoring the mail are all signs that an older person may need help. They’re also signs of possible depression, an issue that affects older Americans at alarming rates.

If you notice a change in interests or participation in activities you may want to speak with their doctor to rule out medical issues, and look into assistance for them.

Staying in their home is typically the goal of most seniors. But the reality may be that caring for a home and managing the activities of daily living can become increasingly difficult as we age.

Many older adults are afraid to admit that reality because they fear losing their independence or admitting they need help.

A holiday visit represents an ideal opportunity for adult children to assess older family members’ living situations and see if home care could help them.

If you’re not sure if your loved ones need home care, contact Visiting Angels at 425-828-4500 or visit www.visitingangels.com/kirkland. A confidential consultation may help your loved ones stay at home safely, and give you peace of mind.

Makaylaa Powers is owner of Visiting Angels in Kirkland that provides service to North Seattle and Eastside communities. Makaylaa may be reached at 425-828-4500.