I’ve been talking a lot about driving and how older adults are by and large good drivers. I've also shared how to keep older adults driving safely for as long as possible.
Even with this said, there may come a time that you’re concerned about your parent’s driving. You might catch yourself wondering,
“My parent just made a major driving error.
Is this normal? Or something I should be concerned about?”
In this episode, I share warning signs, or red flags to consider, to let you know that you may want to start the conversation with your parent about changing their driving or stopping driving all together.
Every day, I get questions from physicians, social workers, nurses, friends, and so many others about older adults and driving. So, I decided to create a series on driving in the hopes that it will help you to navigate a very difficult topic for many families.
Or red flags to...
Last week, I listed the various types of living environments for older adults, this week, I wanted to share exactly why you should know living options for your aging parents.
Why is knowing the different living options for older adults so important?
Here are are...
Watch it here, read it below, or do both!
1. Helps you to prepare...
What?!!
That's right!
In 2010, only 4.5% of older adults were living in nursing homes. But somehow there's a misperception that most older adults live in nursing homes.
So, if they don't live in Nursing Homes, where do where DO older adults live?
The vast majority of older adults (93.5%) live in.... (drum roll).... the community!
Because there are so many misperceptions about where older adults live, I thought I would take this opportunity to describe the different environments that older adults live in!
Watch it here!
So, why is knowing the different living options for older adults so important?
Taking the time to prepare and organize documents when it comes to caring for your aging parents in the short run will set you up for smoother transitions in the long run!
Since there are so many more legal, insurance, and financial documents than the ones I included in the video, I created a comprehensive Essential Documents Checklist to accompany this blog. It's filled with documents that you'll want to gather to help you manage your parents' care, including:
You can download it here!
You'll want to gather these documents over time (but don't wait too long). Starting this process as soon as possible is ideal. This way, you and your aging parents will have a better chance of working together as a team.
And, speaking of teamwork!
I recommend giving a copy of this checklist to your aging parents and asking them to:
1. Gather documents and store them together...
Aging parents and sibling relationships are super complicated! Throw caregiving demands on top of family conflict, and what do you get? Resentment! Burnout! And, family members not talking for months or years at a time!
These tips will help to prevent burnout when caring for aging parents and strengthen the relationships between you and your siblings. I mean, who doesn’t want that?
When you have concerns about your aging parents' needs or care, it can be helpful to call for a meeting between you and your siblings so that everyone can get on the same page.
This is really important because you may have your own ideas about how things should be done while your siblings have their own ideas. Not to mention that you may...
It’s tough to know how to talk with older parents about difficult topics. Are you gonna say the wrong thing and push your elderly parent away?
In this episode (#005) of THE CARING FOR AGING PARENTS SHOW, I share 7 tips for talking with older parents about their needs and wishes related to caregiving and difficult topics.
Emotions tend to run high around difficult topics like driving, independent living, health decisions, and managing money. Taking the time to prepare for these conversations will set you up for success.
So watch the video now!
Here's an overview of the 7 tips I share for talking with your aging parents about their needs and wishes with caregiving and difficult topics!
Tip 1: Call for a Parent/Family Meeting
Ask to meet with your parents to talk about their wishes in older adulthood. By calling for a family (or one:one) meeting you and your...
Many people wait until there's a crisis before having a conversation with their parents about their future. You know, planning for needs and changes in older adulthood.
And this makes sense! Conversations about what life might look like down the road can be painful for both older adults and the people who love them. It's difficult to face the possibility of sickness, frailty, and loss of independence. And, as a result, we ALL tend to avoid these conversations.
Well, avoid no longer!
In this fourth episode of The Caring for Aging Parents Show, I share tips on starting this conversation!
And BONUS! I share 6 conversation starters!
Watch it now!
Here's an overview of the tips for talking with your aging parents about their future:
1. Don't wait until there is a crisis! Starting these conversations long before your parent has a medical, mental health, or financial crisis is the best approach. Your parents are going to have A LOT of transitions in their lives and some of...
(watch it now!)
It's normal for an older adult to forget where they put their keys, look all over for their glasses, then realize that they're wearing them, or have trouble remembering someone's name. But, there are times when memory loss can be really scary and concerning.
Watch, read, or do both! You choose
If you're noticing changes in your parent's memory, or changes in cognitive function (this is a fancy term for the way the brain thinks, remembers, processes information, etc), it is really important that you keep track of specific examples that you notice.
For example, My mom got lost the other day driving home from a store that she's been going to for years. Or, My dad’s been leaving the stove on and burning food. Or, my mom has been rummaging through drawers and can never find...
My show walks you through the most complicated situations with your aging parents, like with illness, dementia, mental health concerns and end of life... so that you have peace of mind knowing that you're doing everything you can to help your parents live their best lives... without giving up your own life in the process!
Lots of love to you and your family!
- Dr. Regina Koepp
Help your aging parents drive safely for as long as possible with my FREE Roadmap to Safe Driving!
Download The Ultimate Caring for Aging Parents Checklist! It's FREE!
Get organized with my free Caring for Aging Parents ESSENTIAL DOCUMENTS Checklist!
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