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How to Talk to Older Relatives About Health

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As you watch your parents and other older relatives get older, you realize that there are some important discussions you need to have with them. One of the important things you need to discuss is their health and how to manage it as they age. And it's not just one or two big conversations, but an ongoing issue that needs to be discussed continually. It's hard to approach the matter in a sensitive way, especially when many older people are resistant to it. But there are many ways you can approach it and ensure you can have a helpful dialog about their health.

Be a listener

Listening is vital when you're discussing the health of your parents or anyone else in your family. If you're not willing to listen, they can feel talked over and like they're not part of the conversation. [You may also want to check out everydayhealth.com for more help as needed.] Make sure you're really willing to listen to what they want to say and let them guide the conversation. There might be times when you have to bring up things that they don't want to talk about, but it's important not to talk over them. They might want to discuss something that seems irrelevant at first but is actually related to the key matter at hand.

Make it a two-way conversation

It can be tempting to just try and give lots of advice and suggest what your parents should be doing, especially if you've been doing your own research. But it's essential that they get to have their say and ultimately get to decide what to do. Asking questions is a helpful way of ensuring they are part of the conversation. It's also a way you can make suggestions while still giving your parents control. People don't like to be told what to do, so they need to be in charge of how they manage their health.

Normalize the effects of aging

Regularly discussing the topic of aging can help to normalize it and make it a less awkward or embarrassing thing to talk about. You can even relate in some ways, as you get older too, or perhaps relate your discussions to your grandparents or other relatives. You can discuss the different ways aging can affect you, from understanding hearing loss to how losing mobility could make things more difficult. The more you talk about it, the easier it will become to have important discussions about it.

Approach difficult topics with care

It's hard to have big conversations about health, especially when they might involve any possible loss of independence. That's why it's important to prepare for them and go into them with the right approach. Checking in with your feelings before starting a big conversation can help you to keep calm. It can also help to recognize that it might not be just one conversation, but a series of conversations that make it possible to come to a resolution.

Tread carefully when talking to older relatives about their health. It can be a sensitive subject that needs to be approached thoughtfully.

How do I talk with my parents about aging? Senior Issues, Hearing Loss, Listening, Normalize the Conversation, Tips for Talking with Older People about Getting Older

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