Solterra Senior Living Blog

Many adult children will eventually face the issue of deciding when the right time is to talk to their parents about their health and future.  The best answer I can come up with is now.  Talk to your parent early; before their health and rational thinking start to weaken.  By starting these conversations now, the easier the decisions will be when you are faced with the problems head on.   If your family is able to talk about their wishes for the future, the transition will become much more trouble-free. 

Because of the sensitivity of the subject, so many people put off having the conversation, which is one of the worst things you can do.  Avoidance will never solve a problem.  It will only make it more difficult when the time comes to step in and make a decision.  If you wait, you will have a lot of convincing and arguing ahead of you.

It may not seem like an appropriate conversation, but you need to ask questions to find out what your parents want, so that you can honor their wishes.  Find out what they want to do if their spouse passes away.  Ask them if they would prefer moving to a community or having a caregiver.  Each of your parents might have different opinions and by starting the conversation, this will help them start thinking about the “what ifs” and how they want you to help handle them.  If there is a plan already in place, things will go more smoothly.