Once the initial crisis has passed, family and friends often lose touch with your parent's overall condition. That can leave both you and your parent feeling isolated. To avoid this, ask friends and family to:
- Send notes, cards, and emails to help keep your parent's spirits up.
- Invite your parent to social events such as dinners out, cultural events, and picnics.
- Alert your parent to meetings of groups (clubs, committees, organizations) he and they belong to, and if they attend meetings he can't make, fill him in on what happened.
- Take charge of an e-mail network or Yahoo group to let friends, colleagues, and neighbors know how your parent is doing and to keep him up-to-date on everyone else's activities.
