124 Does Your Aging Parent Need Help? What to check and how to talk about it

In This Episode:

Dr. K explains what to do if you’ve become worried about your aging parent, and are trying to figure out if they need help, or are unsure of what to do next. She covers:

• What mental changes are normal as people get older, and what's not normal
• The three types of problems you'll want to check for
• Specific signs to check for, to detect possible memory or thinking problems
• How to tell if your parent needs more help around the house or with their daily life
• The safety red flags I usually check for
• A more respectful and effective way to talk to your aging parent about how things are going
• What to stop doing and what to do instead, to reduce conflicts

Related episode: 

028 When Older Parents Resist Help: 4 Tips for Better Talks

Related Resources:

• When Your Aging Parent Needs Help: A geriatrician’s step-by-step guide to memory loss, resistance, safety worries & more
• 6 Ways that Memory & Thinking Change with Normal Aging (& What to Do About This)
• What are Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) & Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs)?