Talking to a parent about needing more help, getting a check-in app, or anything else that's difficult.
8 articles on this topic.
The most common stuck point in caring for a parent is not the practicalities. It is the moment they tell you they are fine and they do not need any of it. Here is what works, what makes it worse, and the small things that get them to say yes.
Read article →Telling an older parent they should stop driving is one of the hardest conversations adult children face. Here is when it is genuinely time, what the law says in the UK, and the approaches that work better than the heavy chat at Sunday lunch.
Read article →Repeating the same question every ten minutes is one of the most exhausting bits of caring for a parent with cognitive decline. Here is what is actually happening in her brain, why patience runs out so fast, and the responses that work better than the ones you reach for first.
Read article →It is one of the strangest, hardest phrases to hear from a parent with dementia, and one of the most googled. Here is what is really going on, the lines that work, and the lines that quietly make it worse.
Read article →Lasting Power of Attorney is the most useful piece of paperwork families can sort out before something happens. The forms are straightforward but the conversations aren't. Here's what to do, when, and how to bring it up without making your parent feel like you're closing in.
Read article →The phone calls and casseroles slow down after a few weeks. The hardest part is what comes next. Here's what we've learnt about staying close to a newly widowed parent without smothering them or stepping in too soon.
Read article →Loneliness in older parents rarely announces itself. Here is what to listen for, what changes you should not write off as 'just getting older', and how to bring it up without making them feel like a project.
Read article →Most families know more help is needed before the parent does. Here is how to have the conversation without it turning into a stand-off.
Read article →