Resources for Helping Older Adults and Their Families Plan for Future Changes

Dear Carol: Sorry if this is a repeat question, but my parents are in denial about the fact that they’re aging. While they are healthier than many of their 70-year-old counterparts, they’ve seen their friends’ health statuses change overnight. You’d think they’d be more realistic. I’m not trying to push them to move to assisted living, hire care, or anything dramatic. I just want them to talk to me about their wants and needs for the future. They could afford to work with a financial planner and/or an estate attorney to get legal and health documents in place, but if they have, they haven’t told me. I’m their only child, so I feel alone with this. It fits with their lifelong head-in-the-sand habits that the thought of starting the process overwhelms them, so they put it off. The idea of helping them overwhelms me, too, but denial won’t help. Presuming I can convince them to talk about this at all, where do we start? – PE

Dear PE: You’re right that this is a common question, but it’s an important one. Many relatively healthy aging adults resist talking about the fact that eventually, they’ll need assistance because that change is too unpleasant to think about. The reality is most…

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Helpful Tools:

Stay connected with Memoryboard: Designed by caregivers. Memoryboard helps families share reminders, messages, updates, and photos on an easy-to-use screen designed for people with dementia. Peace of mind for families, independence for loved ones.

 Leslie Kernisan, MD, MPH, has opened up support! View two free caregiving webinars that can help you help your older parents (and yourself).

Discover the Difference. EGOSAN: The premium incontinence brand caregivers love: They save work!   Now Available on Amazon.

Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories: “…This book is for all of us; let it help you cope! Thank you to the author and everyone she spoke with!” …Dolores