By Alma González Díaz / September 9th, 2026
If you’ve come across this article, it’s because something is worrying you about a family member.
A fall last week? A major lapse in memory? A comment from the neighbor? The feeling—even if no one says anything—this isn’t right anymore.
Before we continue, let us share an important detail with you: if you’ve been mulling this over for weeks or months, it’s not paranoia. It’s intuition.
That’s why we want to share with you the 10 signs that, based on Casa OMA’s experience of welcoming families, we consider to be the most relevant and an indicator that it is time to take action. We have seen these signs recur in dozens of conversations with family members who arrived exactly at the place that you have arrived today.
Read them carefully. If you recognize three or more of these signs in your family member, it’s time to take action.
- They have fallen at least once in the last six months.
A fall is not always an accident. Older adults fall because something may be going on: loss of muscle strength, vision problems, a medication that makes them dizzy, a minor arrhythmia, or cognitive decline that affects balance. A fall is a consequence. If your family member has fallen once, visit a geriatrician, not only a general practitioner. The clinic distinction matters.
2.- They forget to take their medication, or take more than needed. If you open your father’s drawer and find empty boxes next to half-empty ones, or, alternatively, two boxes of the samemedication, the control system is no longer working. It’s not stubbornness or carelessness; it means that the cognitive routine of “how often and how much” wears out before social memory does. Your mother can talk perfectly about her school and still forget to take the blood pressure pill every Wednesday. The real risk is poorly managed polypharmacy: falls due to hypotension, somnolence, and episodes that are mistaken for dementia but are simply caused by taking too many medications.
3.-They have lost weight for no known medical reason.
Older adults don’t lose weight “because one eats less at that age.” That is a myth. When an older adult loses weight without dieting and without a new diagnosis, there’s a cause. The most common causes are undiagnosed depression, dental problems, difficulty swallowing, cognitive decline that causes them to forget to eat, or social isolation.
4.-Their personal hygiene routine has changed
If your mom, who was always impeccable, has been wearing the same blouse for days or hasn’t washed her hair, it could be a sign of exhaustion, fear of falling in the shower, depression, or impaired mobility that disrupts her routine when using the bathroom. This is one of the most telling and, at the same time, most underestimated signs.
5.-They have isolated themselves: they hardly go out or see anyone anymore. This sign goes unnoticed because it appears to be a matter of comfort or fatigue. However, social isolationis one of the factors that most accelerates physical and cognitive decline in older adults. Conversation is a mental exercise. Company is emotional regulation. Laughter is medicine. If your father has been saying for months, “I don’t feel like going out anymore”, “I don’t want anyone to come over anymore,” or “I’m not in the mood,” he’s starting to withdraw, and there’s almost always an underlying depressive component.
6.-They cause minor household accidents that add up.
Burned food on the stove. A gas valve left open. A faucet left running. Once might be a slip-up. Three times is a sign. The important thing is not to scold your family member but to recognize that their executive function (the ability to organize sequences of tasks) is deteriorating. And the kitchen, with its combination of fire, water, and timing, is where it first becomes noticeable.
7.- They have memory lapses that are no longer normal.
Forgetting the name of an actor is normal. Forgetting the name of their granddaughter is not. The questions you should ask yourself: Does your mother repeat the same question several times on the same day without remembering that she has already asked? Has she gotten lost going to a place she has known for years? Does she have difficulty following a conversation of three people or a recipe that she previously cooked easily? If the answer to even one question is “yes,” a prompt geriatric evaluation is essential.
8.- They get disoriented, especially at dusk.
The phenomenon is called “sundown” or “sundowning,” and it is typical of the early stages of dementia: around 5:00 or 6:00 p.m., the person becomes restless, looks for something they can’t remember, says things like “I want to go home” while already at home, or experiences mood swings for no apparent reason. It’s not an act or a drama. It’s a real neurological symptom that worsens if the person lives alone.
9.- They have difficulties managing your money.
Unpaid bills, collection calls, suspicious transfers, and trouble using ATMs that used to be no problem. Or the opposite: they insist on sending money to someone, answer extortion calls, or fall for scams they would have spotted before.
10.- The family caregiver, you or a sibling, is getting sick
This is the most overlooked sign and one that should be paid the most attention to.
You could be experimenting caregiver burnout syndrome which is the set of factors that, If they persist for several months or years, can cause caregivers to experience severe physical and mental exhaustion, depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, back problems, chronic insomnia, and fatigue. If you haven’t been sleeping well for months, you haven’t seen your friends, haven’t had time for your partner or your children, and have been feeling sad or resentful, your ability to care for others at home has already been compromised. It’s not your fault. An unsustainable situation will eventually take a toll on your health. That’s why this one sign is worth all nine of the previous ones.
With that in mind, here are some suggestions that might help you:
– A comprehensive and timely geriatric evaluation to rule out reversible causes.
– Medication adjustments.
– Professional in-home care on a rotating schedule.
– Daycare: Your family member joins groups with scheduled activities to spend the day in the company of others as a part of a community, engaging in activities, and sleeps at home.
– Temporary trial stay.
– And in some cases, permanent residence in a retirement home.
The right decisions depend on each individual case; taking the time to explore these options and learn more about them could help you make the decision you’re looking for.
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