Tips For Helping Your Aging Parents

According to the 2010 U.S. Census the two fastest growing age groups are people aged 45—64 and those aged 65 and over. So chances are, you’re dealing with an aging parent or know someone who is.

In response to this trend, Healthy Living presents a two-part series, this column and next week’s, to provide you with information on caring for your parents and yourselves.

First, it’s important to realize that you are not alone in this situation and there are many resources available to help you and your parents. One of these resources is ElderLink St. Louis, a program sponsored by the Jewish Federation of St. Louis and administered by Jewish Family & Children’s Service. This free service, which is open to the entire community, offers assistance on such issues as aging-in-place, employment, legal and financial considerations and other community resources. It provides workshops on relevant topics as well as informative materials and referrals to aging experts.

“We can help you locate appropriate programs such as driving assessments for your elderly parents,” Lori Zimmerman, MSW, LCSW, with ElderLink St. Louis, said, “as well as home safety and memory assessments.”

For example, if you’re concerned about your parent’s ability to drive, she said that St. John’s Mercy Medical Center in Creve Coeur and Driving Connections near the Washington University Medical School campus both offer driving assessments and provide the referring physician with a report to determine your parent’s suitability to continue driving.

Zimmerman said part of healthy aging means staying physically and socially active. She said there are age-appropriate fitness classes in the area in addition to the familiar mall walking scene.

Zimmerman also said that ElderLink can provide your parents with resources for them to stay socially aware with information about activities such as volunteer opportunities, educational programs for life-long learning, social meals, and lunch programs.

At some point, adult children will have to get involved in their parents’ care. Zimmerman said to look for behavior changes such as a reluctance to go out of the home, unsteadiness on the feet, personality changes and problems walking, just to name a few examples. She said to pay attention to how often your parent shows signs of forgetfulness.

“Occasional forgetfulness is not the concern, it’s when there’s a trend,” Zimmerman said.

In addition to helping families with area resources, ElderLink also suggests checking out these articles to prepare families for facing difficult decisions:

• 35 Questions to Ask Your Aging Parents
• Elder Caregiving Checklist
• Today’s Caregiver—Family Checklist
• Legal Protections Your Loved Ones Should Know About
• You’re Turning 65: A Must-Do Checklist

Be sure to come back next week for: Taking Care of the Caregiver

Contact information for ElderLink St. Louis:
For a free, personal consultation call (314) 812-9300 or send an email to: info@elderlinkstlouis.org
Monday through Friday 8:30 am - 5 pm
Tuesday and Thursday evenings by appointment