Ten quiet signs a loved one may need support at home

Decline is rarely dramatic. It shows up in small, easy-to-explain-away details that only look significant when you line them up together.

What to look for

• Post and paperwork piling up unopened
• Medication boxes with missed days
• Weight loss, or a fridge with little fresh food
• Wearing the same clothes for several days
• New bruises, or furniture moved to hold on to
• Avoiding stairs, or sleeping downstairs
• Withdrawing from clubs, church or neighbours
• Repeating questions within one conversation
• Unusual driving marks on the car
• A home that is noticeably less clean than usual

What to do next

Start with a conversation about what would make daily life easier, rather than what is going wrong. Most people accept help far more readily when it is framed around independence.

“Care introduced early tends to be small, cheap and steady. Care introduced after a crisis is rarely any of those things.”

If two or three signs are present, a free assessment costs nothing and often reassures more than it worries.