By: Lauren Watral, MSW Geriatric Care Manager, www.rgcmgmt.com
Functional decline is sometimes difficult to diagnose as individual symptoms often go unnoticed. Below is a list of symptoms of functional decline with which to be familiar.
- Misusing medication (over or under use and deviating from a schedule)
- Reports of inexplicable behavior from friends, neighbors or family members
- Poor personal hygiene
- Unpaid bills
- Changes in spending patterns
- inappropriate clothing
- Stains on clothing or upholstery from urine or feces
- Forgetting how to use simple tools
- Poorly cared-for pets
- Repetitive questioning
- Difficulty in communicating
- Confusion
- Unfinished tasks and chores
- Spoiled or poorly-prepared food