Mayo Clinic offers aging warning signs

Going home for the holidays can be a good time to make sure parents are doing well. The Mayo Clinic offers a checklist to help children make sure their aging parents are healthy and happy.

• Weight loss. Unintentional slimming-down in seniors can be a precursor of cancer, dementia, depression or heart failure. The weight loss and accompanying malnutrition can also signal loneliness and listlessness, as elderly parents find themselves unwilling to spend energy cooking for themselves.

• Neglected housework or home maintenance. Physical impairments that lead to a dirty or dangerous house -- poor eyesight, achy joints that hinder cleaning -- could put parents living alone in danger. Pots that are out of place and burnt-out light bulbs that aren't replaced can be signs of memory loss. Make sure parents are still safe in their home -- a lack of light and order can cause a dangerous fall.

• Neglected personal appearance. Dementia, depression and an aging body can make basic hygiene, such as brushing one's teeth and bathing, difficult as well as unappealing.

• Moodiness. Withdrawn behavior and a loss of interest in activities, hobbies and friends are warning signs of depression.

• Trouble walking. Parents who have a difficult time maneuvering the house may be showing signs of arthritis or other joint problems as well as muscle weakness. A cane or walker could help. Unsteady parents are at greater risk for a fall, especially on stairs.

Worried children should sit down with parents and discuss options, said the Mayo Clinic, or involve a family doctor and local government agencies for more help.