Exercise

• Article - Exercise Classes That Improve Your Aging Parents' Strength and Balance -- and Prevent Falls

  Find an exercise class that improves a parent's strength and balance, reducing the risk of falling and preventing hip fractures and other injuries.

• Article - How to Help a Parent With Parkinson's Disease Thrive

  When a parent has Parkinson's disease, exercise and other therapies can help her stay active and independent as long as possible.

• Article - 2 Emergency Diabetes Complications You Can Help Your Parent Avoid

  Find out what you can do to help your parent with type 2 diabetes avoid two potentially life-threatening diabetes complications.

• Checklist - 10 Ways You Can Help Your Parents Prevent a Stroke

  Stroke prevention: 10 ways you can help prevent a stroke. These stroke prevention strategies will help your parents reduce their risk of a stroke.

• Article - How to Help Your Parent Make Dietary Changes

  Advice on how to help your parent with chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease make dietary changes for the better.

• Article - 8 Ways to Help Your Parent Stay Active and Engaged

  A variety of reasonably priced programs and services can help elderly people become more active and engaged. Making a good match for your parent depends largely on his condition and needs.

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

  These 8 questions will help you make get oriented quickly when your parent's been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

• Article - 12 Common Diabetes Myths Debunked

  Discover the truth about 12 common diabetes myths so you can help your parent with type 2 diabetes sort fact from fiction.

• Article - How to Help Your Aging Parent Sleep Better

  Help your aging parent sleep better. Here are some ways to deal with the sleep problems that arise with old age.

• Article - Parkinson's Disease: A Beginner's Guide

  This beginner's guide to Parkinson's disease helps you understand your parent's diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options.

Blog Posts

• Blog Post - Note to People With Arthritis and Diabetes: Move It or Lose It

  That's the advice coming out of a major new study linking diabetes to arthritis.

• Blog Post - New Vocabulary Words for Caregivers

  Thoughts on the power of language to influence our perspective on care-giving for the better.

• Blog Post - Farewell to Falls

  Seniors can prevent life-altering falls by doing balance training exercises.

• Blog Post - Brain Injuries Are the Biggest Risk When the Elderly Fall

  Brain injuries present the biggest danger when elderly fall.

• Blog Post - My mother's growing needs are putting a strain on my marriage, and I find myself wondering which will fall apart first -- her, my marriage, or me. What can I do?

  Since my dad died five years ago, my mother has had...

• Blog Post - Wii Senior Sports Craze May Get Your Parents Moving

  The Wii video game is a hit among seniors; a fun and gentle way to get them moving.

• Blog Post - Brain-Training 101: Does It Really Help Those With Dementia?

  Brain-fitness games are a huge growth industry, but can they help prevent or reverse dementia?

• Blog Post - A Big Butt May Keep Diabetes at Bay

  New research suggests that body fat found around the buttocks may help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

• Blog Post - Playgrounds for Seniors

  They're marvelously designed for safe, healthy geriatric activity. And they're fun!

• Blog Post - Should You Put Type 2 Diabetes to the Test?

  Researchers are asking whether daily self-monitoring is worth the effort and expense.

• Blog Post - My father seems interested in moving in with me -- and I don't want him to.

  At 81, my dad has Parkinson's, three heart stents,...

• Blog Post - For Older Gals: Bring on the Meat. And the Fish, Tofu, and Eggs.

  Older women need to end plenty of protein to maintain muscle, which helps prevent falls.

• Blog Post - Falling: A Deadly Problem Helped by Prevention

  Falls are a deadly problem that can be helped through prevention.

• Blog Post - Yelling and Nagging: Not the Way to Keep Someone With Diabetes on Track

  Practical advice on how to help your parent or partner with diabetes comply with health recommendations.

• Blog Post - Weighty Matters: Diabetes Drugs Can Pack on the Pounds

  Some prescription drugs, it turns out, have an unintended side effect: They lead to weight gain.

• Blog Post - Heartburn or Heart Attack? Women May Miss the Signs

  Women often attribute heart attack symptoms to indigestion, stress, and fatigue. Here's a list of the less typical signs of heart attack.

• Blog Post - How to Keep Stroke Patients From Taking a Tumble

  New research shows that stroke patients fall almost twice as often as those who haven't had a stroke.

• Blog Post - New Legislation (and You) Can Help Prevent Seniors From Falling

  The Safety of Seniors Act aims to help prevent falls among the elderly. Here are ways to help reduce the fall risk for your parents.

• Blog Post - Are You Worried Sick About Your Parent's Heart Disease?

  Caring for someone with heart disease may increase your risk of heart disease and depression. Consider these tips for better heart health.

• Blog Post - With Diabetes, Diet and Dumbbells Make a Difference

  Making lifestyle changes can help people at risk for type 2 diabetes prevent or delay the disease, includes diet and exercise tips.

• Blog Post - Real Men Can Have Brittle Bones

  Because osteoporosis is underdiagnosed in men, the American College of Physicians issued new guidelines urging doctors to screen men for osteoporosis.

Questions & Answers

• Question - How do I encourage my mother, who has limited mobility, to exercise?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - What is the best way to gauge how much exercise is too much?...

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert and a Community Member

• Question - How do I encourage my mother, who has limited mobility, to exercise?

  Suggestions for getting your parent exercising.

• Question - Are there any specific exercises out there that are geared towards seniors that will help them to gain better balance?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - How can I get my mother, who has breast cancer, to be more active so she won't lose muscle strength?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How can I help my mom, who seems really down about her diabetes diagnosis?

  Offers guidance on helping your parent deal with depression following a diabetes diagnosis.

• Question - How can I convince my stubborn father to see a doctor about his diabetes?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How can I help my mom deal with high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol?

  Along with high blood sugar, someone with diabetes might also have high blood pressure and cholesterol. But she can reduce all three the same way.

• Question - What's an A1c test and why is it important for my dad to take it?

  A diabetes expert gives you the scoop on A1c tests and why your parent with diabetes might need one.

• Question - Can exercise raise my mother-in-law's ejection fraction?

  Can exercise raise my mother-in-law's ejection fraction? Her ejection fraction (EF) is now 10 percent, what it was before bypass surgery.

• Question - Why can't my dad, who has Parkinson's disease, correct his bad posture or avoid falling over?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Should I be having pain when I exercise 7 months after completion of chemo for lung cancer?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - Should my active parent check his blood sugar during exercise?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - What are some fun activities for seniors who are confined to hospitals?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - What are ROM exercises, and will they help my bedridden mom?

  ROM (range of motion) exercises can help bedridden patients.

• Question - Is there anything that will help relieve my dad's pain after his stroke?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do I get my mother to do her physical therapy?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do I get my sedentary mom, who spends all her time sitting or laying down, to be more active?

  Guidance on encouraging a sedentary mom to be more active.

• Question - What's the best way to help my 250-pound father walk?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Why are my mother's hand and arm swollen after her stroke?

  My mom had a mild stroke. She's been complaining of pain and I noticed that her hand and forearm are swollen. Are swollen hands and arms normal?

• Question - How do I encourage my father without being a nag?

  Can you help me help my elderly father?

• Question - Does guided imagery really control cancer-related pain?

  Is guided meditation or guided imagery helpful in relieving pain from cancer or other diseases? Studies have shown that guided meditation can help.

• Question - How can I help my father deal with the "dawn phenomenon," or high blood sugar on awakening?

  Dawn phenomenon, having high blood sugar in the morning, is a common problem for diabetics. Get advice on dawn phenomenon treatment strategies.

• Question - Is diabetes affecting my mom's brain?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do I encourage my father without being a nag?

  How can I help my elderly father help himself?

• Question - Should my father be taking aspirin now that he's been diagnosed with heart disease?

  This question has been answered by a Community Member

• Question - Is there anything I can take to relieve constipation due to pain medications?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do I help my mother cope with my father's death?

  The best way to help your mother grieve your father's death may be by helping her recall the good memories.

• Question - How can I help my anxious mother sleep better?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - What is the difference between assisted living and nursing home?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - y 84 yr. old father physical therapy for his broken hip that now has a pin in it. Can you please send me instructions?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How can I help my 82-year-old mother overcome her fear of falling?

  If a parent has a fear of falling, it can actually make things more dangerous. Here's expert advice on how to help a parent overcome fear of falling.

• Question - My mom has type 2 diabetes, so does that mean I'll get it?

  Know your risk factors for type 2 diabetes if one or both parents have the disease -- and the steps to take to avoid developing diabetes later on.

• Question - What is the best way to help my mom with constipation?

  Does your parent need help with constipation? Fluids, diet, and activity are important to help with constipation; medications are another factor.

• Question - How can I help my Grandfather with his chemo treatments received via catheter?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do I help my sister cope with chemo?

  This question has been answered by two Community Members

Tips & Reflections

• Tip - Even your frail parent can exercise

  Exercise is important even for a frail or bedridden parent. Here's how to help your parent get appropriate exercise.

• Tip - Bathing Is a Great Time for a Gentle Mini-Workout

  Whether your parent is bed-bound or up and around a...

• Tip - Medicare Covers Some Obesity Treatment

  Medicare now covers some obesity treatment. Read this tip to find out what treatments are included.

• Tip - Why Older Drivers Should Keep Fit

  Research has shown that keeping fit can help older...

• Reflection - What I Wish I'd Known: Bob Morris

  Bob Morris, author of Assisted Loving: True Tales of Double Dating With My Dad, learned that affection is more important than exercise for ailing parents.