A recent Gallup poll found that some parents often avoid having hard conversations with their young children. Unfortunately, this desire to avoid potential confrontation is a two-way street.
As individuals age it sometimes feels like the roles begin to reverse between parent and child. For many children, the role now falls on them to check in and plan for the future.
If you have aging parents, then you must ask them some essential senior care questions to assess their current living situation, as well as future planning.
So what are some of the essential questions for elderly parents you should ask? And how do you approach them without it being awkward? In this guide, we’ll cover the elderly parent checklist so you can tackle this difficult, but important, conversation with your aging parents.
How Active Are You Socially?
When you were younger you might have noticed your parents had a robust social life. However, as they start to age their social circle might begin to shrink. There can be a lot of reasons for this.
Their close friends might begin to move away or pass away. Similarly, when the last of their children move away some parents can experience a social vacuum.
This issue can be especially prevalent if your parents lost a spouse that they relied on socially. Unfortunately, this issue is incredibly prevalent.
One statistic found that as many as 43% of people over the age of sixty reported feelings of loneliness. And, that some reports found multiple negative health effects from loneliness, including:
- Increased risk of death from all causes
- Increased risk of dementia
- Increased risk of heart attacks, heart disease, and strokes
If your parents report feeling lonely, you can help by suggesting attending church or volunteering more. These can be good ways to socialize. It might also help if you visit them more often.
If that’s not possible because of distance, you might suggest a retirement community. This is a great option for seniors craving social interaction because it puts them in a community with similar-aged people who have many of the same interests.
How Are You Eating?
While proper nutrition is important at every stage of life, it’s especially vital for seniors. That’s because it helps prevent conditions and diseases from developing while helping them retain the muscle mass they have.
Unfortunately, many aging parents struggle with their diets. Some don’t eat enough. This is often caused by a decreased appetite or conditions that restrict their diets.
Or, if your parents live in an isolated rural community they might have trouble getting access to the healthy groceries they need. Some parents also eat too much or prefer unhealthy foods.
They might prefer the convenience of these options, or overeat to deal with feelings of depression or loneliness. Retirement communities are another great option for ensuring proper senior nutrition.
These communities deal with all of the cooking for your parents, making sure the meals are both well-balanced and delicious.
Just make sure you choose a community that prioritizes good food. You can usually confirm this by looking at a sample dining menu.
Are You Active?
You want to ensure that your parents are around for a long time. And, unfortunately, that means discussing how much physical activity they’re getting each day. Why?
Being physically active as you age comes with a whole list of benefits, both immediate and long-term. Some of them include:
- Better sleep
- Less anxiety
- Improved blood pressure
- Reduced risk of dementia
- Lower risk of eight different types of cancer
- Lower risk of heart disease, strokes, and type 2 diabetes
- Better balance for reduced risk of falls
- Improved bone health
Not only that, it helps them stay happy and social, especially if they exercise with others. Suggest attending a fitness class together with your parents, or suggest they become more active with a sport they love.
Again, retirement communities are great for this because they offer a variety of classes and fitness programs to choose from. They also provide conversation starters for seniors who want to make friends.
Are You Seeing the Doctor Regularly?
Regular health screenings need to become more frequent as your parents age. Make sure your parents are increasing the number of times they see a specialist each year.
Remind them that early detection of diseases and conditions can play a big factor in getting treatment.
Do You Need Help Around the House?
When visiting your parents, pay attention to their surroundings. Are things dirty or not put away? If the house is a mess, your parents might be struggling with activities of daily living.
One option is to hire a cleaning service for them. Another option is to move them to an assisted living community that provides regular cleaning as a service.
Would You Consider Senior Living Options?
As we’ve discussed over the course of this article, senior living communities come with numerous benefits. So discuss some of the senior living options with your parents. In some cases, they might be open to the idea of joining one.
In other cases, they might need some convincing. Remind them that this isn’t a decision they need to make now. However, it’s always a good idea to begin planning for aging parents when it comes to future care and housing needs.
That way, everyone is on the same page about their roles.
In some cases, your parents might adamantly refuse to leave their home for a community. While this is their decision, make sure they can afford any future costs associated with that, like home care and personal nurses.
Are Your Aging Parents Looking for a Community? Visit Morada Lake Hefner
We hope this guide helped you learn more about the essential questions you should be asking aging parents. The truth is there isn’t always an easy way to have this conversation. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not important.
After your talk, if your parents express interest in an assisted living community, either now or in the future, we encourage you to visit Morada Lake Hefner.
In addition to providing care plans, we’re dedicated to providing stimulating programs that enrich our residents’ lives. So if you want to learn more about our community, get in touch with us today.
