How to Help Your Parents Navigate Changing Health Needs

Parents do everything they can for their children. They raise them, feed them, teach them, love them and they don’t stop doing this even when their kids grow up and, potentially, have children of their own. But over time, the roles can reverse a bit.

It’s heartbreaking to see people who have supported you your entire life, people who seemed practically invincible, get old and suffer health problems. But adult children often end up playing a more active and supporting role in their parents’ lives as they get older. If you have aging parents who require more support, here are some tips to help you take on this role.

Common Health Problems As We Age

As we get older, our general health and fitness tends to decline. We also become more prone to age-related illnesses. Of course, this doesn’t mean that everyone over the age of 60 is doomed to every single age-related health problem. But they are more likely to develop chronic illnesses that require medication and management.

There are a lot of health problems people tend to develop when they get older. While one’s lifestyle can help determine whether or not an individual stays healthy, genetics can also play a role. So if your grandparents had a specific health problem, your parents are more likely to develop it as well.

Some of the most common health problems older individuals may encounter include:

• Cancers become more common as you get older
• Cardiovascular health problems, such as high blood pressure
• Arthritis and other joint problems
• Hearing loss
• Neurological and cognitive issues like dementia or Alzheimer’s
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Pain, especially back pain and nerve pain like sciatica (find sciatica treatment here)

Maintaining Good General Health

Often, one of the best ways for seniors to maintain relatively good health is to look after themselves.

Smoking and drinking both increase the risk of cancer and other health problems. Smoking, for example, can cause poor lung health and can lead to conditions like COPD. Heavy drinking can cause liver problems as well as cognitive issues. 

General fitness is also vital to good health, especially among older people. If someone is relatively fit throughout adulthood, they will enjoy more relative youth even when they get older. But while it’s easier to keep up with a fitness routine, older people can start improving their fitness at any time. Low-impact fitness activities are often better for older people who might have joint problems.

Balancing Support and Independence

The fact is that, while your parents might need additional support, it’s important to recognize that they aren’t children. Unless they have severe cognitive decline due to dementia or similar conditions, your parents should still take the lead in managing their health needs.

You can support them by being on their side, even when they are more vulnerable. For example, you can help them learn self-advocacy during hearing tests, so they’re able to share what they actually want rather than going along with what other people suggest.

Talk to your parents about the level of support they want and need, and, if you will have to care for them more directly in the future, plan ahead and make sure their wishes are met.