Planning for the Care of Aging Parents

Source: AARP.org | June 19, 2003

Seminar Introduction

Taking care of an aging or ill parent is one of the toughest responsibilities some people will ever face. But many families never even discuss this sometimes delicate issue until there is a crisis. Suddenly forced to cope with a host of concerns from health care to housing in an emergency situation, it’s no wonder so many caregivers feel overwhelmed.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. With a little planning and cooperation, adult children can ensure the best care possible for their parents and take care of themselves as well. This seminar is designed to help you discuss independent living and long-term care issues with your parents. You'll also learn to identify potential problems and find workable solutions.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the best strategies for talking with your parents about their independence.
• Assess your parents’ current and future housing and health care needs.
• Plan for your parents’ care, in your home or elsewhere.

Credits

Copyright 2002, AARP. This seminar is the first in a series about caring for your aging parents. The other siminars on this topic include Providing the Care and Managing Caregiving Details: The Basics.

Technical Requirements

To appreciate this seminar experience, it is critical that you have the appropriate software, plug-ins, and network connections. Please take the time to download the latest versions of the plug-ins mentioned below if you do not already have them.

Browser: Internet Explorer 6 and higher, Netscape 7.2 and higher or equivalent browser. Your browser must be JavaScript-enabled and must be set to accept cookies.
Network Connection: The recommended minimum connection is 56Kbps. A faster connection is encouraged to take better advantage of the media elements in the seminar.

Contributors

AARP Outreach and Support, Health and Supportive Services Team
This seminar is brought to you through the AARP Outreach and Support, Health and Supportive Services team. One goal of the team is to expand AARP members’ access to information and resources and give them the confidence to find the options that exist. Using this information they can select the choices that meet their needs and improve the quality of their lives.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to making life better for people 50 and over. We provide information and resources; engage in legislative, regulatory and legal advocacy; assist members in serving their communities; and offer a wide range of unique benefits, special products, and services for our members. These include AARP The Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud, our quarterly newspaper in Spanish; NRTA Live and Learn, our quarterly newsletter for 50+ educators; and our Web site, www.aarp.org. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.