FAQs

I have a lot on my plate and need help as I don’t have the time and energy or expertise to handle the situation well. This may be exactly why many people decide they need to get professional assistance. Too much is being asked of them by too many people. It can feel like there's never enough time available to feel that you are able to get a grip on anything: home, work, kids, and all those practical tasks of life. Seeking professional advice may be the best option, to get a handle on the situation and relieve some [...]

I think my relative might have dementia or Alzheimer's. They seem confused or are having some difficulty thinking straight. Dementia is a term that covers many conditions from classic Alzheimer’s disease to Mild Cognitive Impairment. These medical terms denote a large variety of changes in an individual’s ability to think, understand, make decisions, and assess information. What to do? Luckily today these changes can be diagnosed with some accuracy. And getting a good differential diagnosis is important because what you and your family will need to do depends on understanding, as exactly as possible, what has caused these changes. [...]

My parent is making poor decisions. This can be one of the most difficult situations an adult child can face with an elderly parent. The person who seemed so responsible throughout your lifetime no longer seems to be thinking clearly or acting prudently. Or is it that you just don’t agree with a life choice your parent is making? Perhaps they're staying too long in a house that is obviously too big, which is not being kept clean, and refusing all offers of help? Understanding the difference between making a poor decision and being beyond the capacity to make [...]

I’m concerned about someone taking financial advantage of my parent. Is your parent possibly the victim of elder abuse? The most typical form of elder abuse is financial abuse. This can take the form of simply stealing money or things of value from an elder to taking over the person’s entire financial life. Elder abuse is a serious and sometimes difficult problem to solve. Expert advice is often needed to understand how to approach the problem and best get help, from formally making a complaint of elder abuse to authorities to putting safeguards in place. Further Reading The Little [...]

My relative’s health condition has recently changed and requires much more attention. Changes in your relative's health condition can be immediate, short-term, or ongoing.  It may be obvious when something has changed, hard to pin down, or confusing. The challenge you're facing is here now, but it also needs to be managed with the future in mind. How do you know where to start? Further Reading Aging at Home is Easier Than Ever: Let Us Show You How An Eldercare Success Story: From Bedridden to Bingo 9 Signs a Home Caregiver is Needed with Mom 6 Warning Signs That [...]

My parent has a new medical problem and needs help. Managing a new medical problem poses challenges on many levels. Understanding the diagnosis, possibly getting a second opinion, dealing with a new medication or treatment, exploring how to integrate the physical and emotional impact of the new condition into your parent’s life and possibly your own – this is only some of what you're facing. The information helps, as can access new resources that you may need. But, it also takes time and the proper support to integrate this new challenge into your parent’s life. Further Reading Four Adult [...]

A major transition just happened (hospitalization, recent move, death of a spouse) and you're worried about how they're coping. Change is always stressful but to an elderly person who has had a fixed routine for years and wasn’t looking for change the stress can be both overwhelming and long-lasting. Many factors affect the adjustment process, and even changes you see as positive can be tough. How much did he or she participate in decisions about the change? How many resources, social as well as financial, do they have? Was the change the result of a crisis – unplanned and [...]

My siblings don’t agree on how to help our parents. Unfortunately, your parents get caught in the middle and it may feel like you can’t get anything done when no one agrees. You need some way to manage the difficult situation you are experiencing today. To quote Leo Tolstoy: “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” However, there are some approaches and recommendations that we have gained from working with thousands of families that can help you cope and move forward. Further Reading Five Siblings and One Dad. Who’s Right? “The Talk”: [...]

My parent takes a lot of medicine…is he/she taking it the right way? This is a challenge for anyone taking more than one medication—and when someone is taking three or more medications it can be a recipe for disaster! There are practical steps to follow to put a safe medication plan in place for your parents. Further Reading Medication Management: Does Mom Have a Drug Problem? Senior Home Care: Medication Management Tips Medication Assistance Medication Assistance: Qualified Caregivers Keep You Safe and Healthy Five Brutal Truths about Getting Old That Few People Are Willing to Admit Eight Homecare Technologies [...]

My parent falls frequently and I'm always worried about getting an emergency phone call. Getting to the bottom of the cause of the falls is the first step. By understanding if there is a way to manage what is causing the falls you are then in a position to figure out what to do. If the situation is temporary, you may need to come up with a short-term plan and put new safety measures in place. But, in many cases, you’ll need a long-term plan to manage the situation to avoid life becoming one crisis after another. Even if [...]