The Caring for Aging Parents Show with Dr. Regina Koepp

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How To Talk With Aging Parents About Their Military Service (Ep #025)

aging parents difficult conversations older adults veterans Nov 11, 2019

You may be surprised to hear that about half of today’s Veterans are 65 and older.

If you're caring for an aging Veteran, you may have many questions but not know where to start. Once you do get started, you might not know HOW TO ACTUALLY HAVE a conversation with your loved one about their military service.

Maybe you're afraid of saying the wrong thing, pushing too hard, or maybe you're afraid that starting this conversation will open pandora's box of memories.

I have been working with older Veterans and their families for more than 10 years, so I thought it would be helpful to share these expert tips on talking with aging parents about their military service with you!

[Read the Transcript]

Chances are, if you're caring for an aging parent (65 or older) who served in the military, their service was influenced by WW-II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War.

Offering the opportunity for your aging parents to share about...

Safe Driving Recommendations for Older Adults! 5 Tips! (Ep #014)

aging parents caregiving tips driving older adults Aug 28, 2019

Driving is so important to older adults. It helps them to stay socially connected, helps them to experience independence, it reduces risk of depression and isolation, and so much more.

There are so many good reasons that older adults want to drive for as long as possible. So in today’s episode, I will share 5 tips for helping your aging parent drive safely for as long as possible.

In my work with older adults and families, I have found several resources to help older adults not only remain driving, but do so safely. I'm delighted to share them with you!

1. Get Educated

The first step in helping your parent to remain driving safely as long as possible is to help them get educated. There are several really good online resources to provide education to help your aging parents remain driving safely. Here are my three favorites:

NHTSA has downloadable, easy to read documents on how various medical conditions (like dementia, arthritis, diabetes,...

Aging Parent Refusing to Go to the Doctor? (Ep #003)

aging parents caregiving medical care older adults Jun 05, 2019

You care about your aging parent so much and for some reason, they're just not listening to you and your pleas for them to go to the doctor. You try and you try, but nothing you say is convincing your parent that whatever is going on in their body is worth checking out. So, here are...

5 Tips for what to do if your parent is refusing to see the doctor!

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1. Consider changing your approach.

If you’re really worried about your aging parent, you might have the tendency to be demanding or a little bit pushy. Perhaps back off a bit and share your concerns from another angle. Instead of saying “dad, you HAVE to go to the doctor, the swelling in your leg has gotten out of hand”, try having a pleasant conversation then sharing, “dad, I notice that the swelling in your leg is getting worse and it concerns me because it could be a sign of something medically wrong and I think we should check it out.”...

Welcome!

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