101 – Interview: Avoiding Holiday Pitfalls with Aging Parents

In This Episode:

Dr. K talks with Linda Fodrini-Johnson, MA MFT CMC, a past president of the National Association of Geriatric Care Managers (now the Aging Life Care Association) and a featured expert providing guidance in Dr. K’s Helping Older Parents Membership Program.

To help families have the best holidays possible, they discuss practical approaches to help families avoid common conflicts that come up during the holidays. They also discuss adapting the holidays for aging parents with dementia. Their talk includes:

• What are geriatric care managers (also now known as aging life care professionals)
• Why adult children should avoid telling their aging parents what they “should” do, and what to do instead
• How to handle common causes of sibling conflict related to aging parents
• How to learn more about what aging parents want for their future
• What you can do if YOU are the older parent and your adult children are concerned
• How to adapt the holidays so they work better for aging parents with dementia
• What to do if an aging parent is showing signs of memory problems but hasn’t been diagnosed

Related episodes:

003 – Interview: Helping Reluctant Parents Address Memory Concerns

036 – Interview: Minimizing Family Conflicts & Supporting Aging Parents

Related Resources:

• Cognitive Impairment in Aging: 10 Common Causes & 10 Things the Doctor Should Check
• Lotsa Helping Hands
• 100 Questions Grandchildren Can Ask Grandparents
• Esky Wireless Item Tracker

For more help with aging parents from Dr. Kernisan and Linda Fodrini-Johnson:

• Learn more about the Helping Older Parents Membership
• Give the gift of the Helping Older Parents Course or Membership

You can also get a PDF transcript of this episode, as our holiday gift to you: Click here for the Holidays with Aging Parents transcript!