Checklists

10 Questions to Ask An Older Adult About Falling

Checklist - Don't be surprised if your parent is reluctant to talk about her falls (or suspected falls), fearing that the consequences could threaten her independence. Even so, it's important to get this issue out on the table. By getting as much information as possible, you can provide your parent's physician...

7 Questions to Ask the Doctor About Preventing Falls

Checklist - Each year one in three adults age 65 years or older falls, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the possibility of serious injury from falling increases even more dramatically by the time your parents reach the age of 85.

10 Ways You Can Help Your Parents Prevent a Stroke

Checklist - 10 ways you can help with stroke prevention. These stroke prevention strategies will help your parents reduce their risk of a stroke.

High-Tech Solutions to Aging-in-Place Dilemmas

Checklist - 10 useful gadgets for elderly parents to remain independent in their home. These innovative gadgets for elderly parents are invaluable.

8 Questions to Ask an Occupational Therapist After a Broken Hip

Checklist - Learn the most important questions to ask an occupational therapist after a broken hip, and how occupation therapy can help expedite broken hip recovery.

10 Questions to Ask After a Heart Attack

Checklist - 10 questions to ask after heart attack. Find out and set a realistic timetable for recovery after heart attack.

8 Life Issues You're Bound to Face When Caring for an Aging Parent

Checklist - Facing life issues when caregiving is inevitable, but you can be ready. Here's 8 life issues you're bound to face when caring for aging parents.

5 Legal Documents You Need for Your Loved Ones

Checklist - These documents will ensure that you can assist your loved ones in a medical or financial emergency and, at their deaths, ease the distribution of their estate.

8 Ways to Preserve Family Memories When Someone Has Alzheimer's

Checklist - Learn about the 8 ways to preserve family memories if your parent has Alzheimer's. Start to preserve family memories by digitizing old photos or by filling out the family tree.

8 Things to Look for in a Nursing Home Agreement

10 Things You Should Know About Your Parents' Finances

Checklist - Knowing about your elderly parents finances can help with future management. Review these 10 important elderly parent finance questions.

5 Ways to Ensure a Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) Really Works

Pain Evaluation Checklist: 10 Ways to Help Your Parent Describe Pain

Checklist - When your parent is in pain, it can be difficult to talk about and describe. "It really hurts" usually isn't enough for the doctor to to figure out what's happening. It doesn't help that pain is subjective and some people feel it more intensely or in different ways than others...

10 Questions to Ask When Shopping for a Personal Emergency Response System (PERS)

Checklist - It's a good idea to compare your options when choosing a personal emergency response system (PERS) for your parent. Use this checklist as a guide. When talking to salespeople, take notes on your findings, then narrow down the list of potential providers. Caution: Be wary of high-pressure sales tactics...

Before Your Parent Moves, Pack a "First-Night" Box

Checklist - When your parent first arrives in her new living quarters -- whether it's a smaller home or apartment, an assisted living facility, or a nursing home -- there are a few key things she'll need from the get-go. Here's what to put in a suitcase (or a box that goes in your car rather than the moving van...

5 Most Important Financial Questions to Ask Your Parent

Checklist - You won't know what kind of shape your parent's finances are in until you ask. Money is always a sticky topic, so come to the discussion prepared to cover the most important issues:

End-of-Life Arrangements: A Resource List

Checklist - Quick summary

12 Items Someone With Diabetes Should Always Carry

15 Questions to Ask When Interviewing a Home Health Care Worker From an Agency

Checklist - 15 questions for interviewing a home care worker from an agency. Help find the right home care worker for your aging parent.

15 Questions to Ask When Interviewing a Home Care Worker on Your Own

Checklist - If you're hiring an in-home health care worker without going through an agency, these questions should help you find a reliable match for your parent. Involve your parent in the interview process as much as possible. It's his interview, with you asking the questions for him (if he's able to ask them himself, even better)...

Choosing a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan

Checklist - In 2006, Medicare finally began to offer some coverage for prescription drugs taken at home. But the coverage and costs in this Medicare Part D program are complicated. And the drug plans -- essentially insurance policies -- themselves are sold by private insurance companies, each one different from the others...

Hospice Resources: Where to Find Help

Checklist - Use our free hospice resources list to help guide you in decisions concerning hospice care.

Preparing for Hair Loss: What to Do

Checklist - Knowing your parent may lose hair due to cancer treatments, it's a good idea to prepare in advance -- no matter whether it's your mom or dad who's affected. After all, some men opt for hairpieces, too. What are the steps to take?

25 Essential Diabetes Questions

Checklist - Whether you accompany your parent to doctors' appointments or handle queries over the phone, you may feel rushed to get your questions answered. So it pays to plan ahead. No matter how hard you listen during these appointments, the information may become a blur as soon as you leave the office, so it...

8 Questions to Ask the Lender Before Getting a Reverse Mortgage

Checklist - 8 key questions to ask a lender before signing a reverse mortgage agreement. Read our free checklist to be better prepared for reverse mortgage.

6 Estate Planning Questions Your Parents Should Answer

Checklist - In deciding whether they need to do any estate planning, the key questions your parents should answer are whether there is any property they would like a particular person or charity to receive after their deaths and whether they have strong opinions about their medical care and final arrangements...

10 Signs of Parkinson's Disease

Checklist - Parkinson's disease creeps up slowly, starting with mild symptoms that are easy to ignore at first. What follow are three cardinal features of the disorder (signs 1, 2, and 3 below) that doctors look for, along with seven related signs (signs 4 through 10) that could be additional evidence of the illness...

8 Questions to Ask When Your Parent Has a Parkinson's Disease Diagnosis

Checklist - Try to go with your parent to his first few doctor's visits. If that isn't possible, you'll need access to his medical records in order to discuss his medical issues with the physician. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects the privacy of these records, so ask your...