Talking About the Tough Subjects With Your Parent or Older Loved One

This course is designed to help adult children and their aging parents or loved ones deal with those sensitive topics that
make conversations difficult. How do you talk with your parents about issues associated with aging such as money,
moving, health, wills, driving and safety? The course will discuss approaches and strategies to effectively address these
and other concerns that impact the elderly adults. Various examples will be used as exercises to prepare participants
to respond to these challenging situations. The training will also discuss ways to involve siblings and/or whether to get
assistance from elder care professionals. At the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

Identify the issues associated with aging and loss of independence and/or functioning in areas
such as:
• Driving
• Decision-making
• Finances
• Grooming/bathing/cooking and other activities of daily living
• Cleaning and home care
• Taking medication responsibly
Describe how to initiate conversations around difficult topics such as:
• Creation of a will, living will and advanced directives
• Financial status
• Moving to a new home or living situation
Recognize the emotional difficulty of role reversal and how to stay grounded as an adult with
your parent.
• Identify ways of involving siblings and/or health professionals.