If You Notice These 11 Things In Your Aging Parent’s Home, They’re Losing Motivation To Keep Up
The state of your parents' home may hint at the mental and physical struggles they are facing.
Julia Zavalishina / Shutterstock The state of your aging parent’s home can tell you a lot about the health struggles they may be facing and the challenges they may feel in being motivated. As people get older, they may face cognitive struggles, physical decline, and mental health issues. All of these things can make it increasingly difficult for an individual to gain the motivation needed to complete even the smallest of tasks.
If your parents are experiencing any of these things, you may notice that the state of their home is very different from what it was while you were living there. It may not seem as clean, the yard may be unkept, and even the physical appearance of your parents may be off. If this is the case, you may want to consider becoming a support system for your parents and finding ways to help them manage the challenges they are facing.
If you notice these 11 things in your aging parent’s home, they’re losing motivation to keep up
1. Expired food
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Finding a lot of expired food at your aging parent’s home may be an indication that they are losing motivation to keep up with certain daily routines and tasks. There are several potential reasons why your parents may be struggling in this way.
They may be experiencing cognitive changes or having difficulty with loneliness and/or other emotional health concerns. If this is the case, they may need additional support around the house.
It may be difficult for them to get to the grocery store or remember that it is time to buy more food. Mental, physical, and emotional fatigue can all make this task overwhelming for your parents, so instead of grocery shopping, they have a fridge filled with expired food and struggle to care for themselves in this way.
2. Piles of dirty laundry
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Excessive piles of dirty laundry at your parents’ home may be a sign that they are slowly losing motivation to keep up. They could be facing mental, physical, or emotional challenges that are making keeping up with daily life very difficult for them.
If they are struggling with mobility, cognitive decline, or overwhelming feelings, they may have a harder time doing certain household tasks. These tasks start to feel impossible.
“A decline in housekeeping, such as a dirty home, piles of laundry, or spoiled food in the refrigerator, can indicate that your parent is having difficulty managing daily tasks. This could be due to physical limitations, cognitive decline, or a lack of motivation. Whatever the cause, it’s important to connect your loved one with the extra support they need,” according to Visiting Angels, a home care service dedicated to ensuring aging adults get the support they need to live comfortably at home.
3. Stacks of unopened mail or unpaid bills
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When you notice unopened mail or unpaid bills at your parents’ house, they may be experiencing a lack of motivation to keep up with things. Physical limitations or cognitive decline can lead to overwhelming feelings, making it harder for your parents to manage their responsibilities.
Despite their overwhelming feelings, leaving mail unopened and bills unpaid can lead to serious issues that will impact their livelihood. Stacks of these two things around their house may be a call for help.
“Look around your parent’s home and check for stacks of mail. You especially should look for mail from the IRS, credit card bills, utility bills and mortgage statements. If you know your parents are dealing with memory loss, it’s critical that you help oversee these bills,” explains Home Helpers, a team of experienced caregivers.
4. Overwhelming clutter and trash
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If your parents’ home is filled with clutter and trash, they may be struggling to find motivation to keep up with routine chores. When your parents get to the point of no longer feeling motivated to keep up with their living space, it can leave their home in a state that makes it difficult for them to live comfortably.
If clutter and trash are accumulating throughout their house due to physical or cognitive limitations that are causing even everyday tasks to feel like too much, there is only a matter of time before this turns into a foul odor throughout their home and potentially the presence of pests. Your parents may need your support.
“Offer assistance with cleaning, decluttering, and organizing, as well as grocery shopping. Consider hiring a cleaning service or meal delivery service to help lighten the burden on your loved one,” mentions Brandon Haubert of WH Law.
5. Broken appliances
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Noticing broken appliances at your aging parent’s home may be a sign that they are losing motivation to keep up with things. If your parents are facing health issues, they may be struggling with their mental health as a result.
This can make it very difficult for them to keep up with household appliances, even when they know something is broken and needs to be fixed. When they once maintained the kitchen and other areas of the home, but are no longer doing so, consider why this might be.
According to Bright Horizons, a company that provides childcare for families in need, “This could be a sign of depression or general loneliness, and far deeper than just the matter of a clean kitchen: look for ways to show them they are loved and needed by family and friends, and keep monitoring their mood in case further support is needed from GPS and other services.”
6. A lack of fresh, healthy food
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When you notice a lack of fresh and healthy food at your aging parent’s home, it may be an indication that they have lost motivation for keeping up with tasks that promote good nutrition. Dealing with physical decline or a loss of mental and physical energy can contribute to a loss of motivation.
Life changes that make your parents feel socially isolated may also contribute to their loss of appetite and motivation to cook and eat healthy meals. They may not feel as eager to eat alone as they do with family and friends. Physical decline can also make it difficult for them to grocery shop or stand for long periods of time while cooking.
7. Unused personal hygiene products
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If you find many unused personal hygiene products at your parents’ home, it may be a sign that they are struggling to find the motivation to keep up with their self-care routines. There can be several reasons for your parents no longer keeping up with their personal hygiene.
Thrive Senior Living, a company that designs and operates senior living communities that offer a range of care options, mentions that, “For some it’s just a matter of needing help because it has become too difficult to do alone, but a lack of personal hygiene can also signal mental and physical problems such as depression, dementia, and physical challenges like arthritis and should be addressed to pinpoint the cause or causes.”
8. Strong, unpleasant odors
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Your aging parents may be experiencing a loss of motivation to keep up with their self-care and the cleanliness of their house if you notice a strong and unpleasant odor when you walk into their home. If they are struggling mentally or physically, they may need your help keeping up with their home.
Cleaning may be a difficult task if they struggle to balance and move up and down repetitively. Other physical health issues may be causing them pain as well, which makes it hard for them to do tasks that leave them feeling chronic pain. Sometimes, these struggles can also lead a person to feel depressed, which will cause them to neglect their well-being and lose motivation.
9. An unkept yard
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If you notice an unkept yard at your aging parent’s house, it may be an indication that they are losing motivation to keep up with the regular maintenance of their home. This could be due to their reduced physical abilities, cognitive decline, or mental health struggles.
Struggling with these things can make it hard for them to go through with maintaining certain areas of their home, like the yard, and they can lead to feelings of being very overwhelmed.
“For aging adults, upkeep that was once simple and second nature around their home can become tiresome and almost impossible, and if your parent is already struggling with memory issues or confusion, they may forget to do the tasks they used to do regularly to keep their home and yard clean. Things like increased clutter, layers of dust on furniture, and overgrown greenery in the yard could indicate that your parent needs some help keeping their home clean and safe,” explains Family Matters In-Home Care.
10. Full bottles of prescription medication
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When you find many unused, full bottles of prescription medication at your aging parent’s home, it may be a sign that they are losing motivation to keep up with their self-care. They may be neglecting to take their medication for several different reasons.
They may have cognitive issues that cause them to forget to take it or feel confused about whether or not they have taken it, or they may be struggling mentally with depression and other overwhelming feelings like this. All of these struggles can cause your parents to develop a lack of motivation to do even the things that are for their overall well-being and health.
11. Scorched or burnt pots and pans
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When you walk in your aging parent’s home, if you notice scorched or burnt pots and pans, this may mean that they are losing motivation to keep up with things and experiencing serious health problems. They may begin losing interest in doing things that their health struggles have made more complicated.
“Any changes in the way your parents do things around the house could provide clues to their health. For example, scorched pots could mean your parents are forgetting about food cooking on the stove,” mentions Dana Clark for Mayo Clinic. This forgetfulness and cognitive decline could become scary and overwhelming for your parents, causing them to lose the motivation to do things like cooking at home.
It is important to be aware of the things within your aging parent’s home, and if things seem different than they usually are, consider providing support to your parents if you suspect that they may be losing motivation.
Kamryn Idol is a writer with a bachelor's degree in media and journalism who covers lifestyle, relationship, family, and wellness topics.
