The role reversal between parent and child isn’t easy. Here are some strategies to get started. Stay in touch with other people in your parents’ life. In Gopaul’s case, a concerned friend clued her into her father’s gold purchase.

As your parents age and need assistance with life’s tasks – anything from balancing a checkbook to dealing with insurance claims – its hard to know how to take charge, without taking over. How do you help your parent, without making them feel as if they’re losing their independence?

If your parents are mobile but show mild signs of dementia or forgetfulness, you may want to investigate out-of-home adult day services or day health-service programs. Supervised adult day services let the elderly socialize with other seniors, and day health services may have nurses who can give out shots and medications

Use this guide to assess when a loved one needs a caregiver and what options are available.

Have a relaxed conversation away from your homes, perhaps in a park or some other peaceful setting.  You’ll be amazed at how this can break the cycle of a “stuck” conversation.  Ask a big question like, “Mom, what has been the most difficult part of aging for you?”

Mother had physical therapy with an excellent, encouraging therapist after her stroke and made good progress. I think she made the effort more for him than for herself. Why? Because her follow-though at home was minimal to nonexistent after the therapy ended (as I saw it). Of course in her younger days, fitness wasn’t as valued as it is now.

Oregon. The emphasis on healthy lifestyles is evident from the many joggers and bicyclists (major downtown streets devote space for bicycles only.) I’m in a residential area, looking out my second floor window.  An elderly woman, attractively dressed in a V-neck shirt and kakis, just walked by.

You’ve grown concerned about your mother’s driving. She is now one of the 30 million senior drivers (according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), and you’ve become more watchful. First, there are these serious dents in her car that she can’t explain. When riding along, you’ve had to remind her that stop signs were coming up. While driving she has seemed unusually distracted.