10 Questions to Ask Your Parent’s Primary Care Doctor

1. “What is the goal of their care plan?”

• Why this matters: A care plan is the approach that a primary care provider will take when treating a patient’s health conditions. Your loved one’s care plan should fit their unique health challenges, lifestyle factors and personal goals. And the desired outcome of this care plan should match what your parent and you agree matters most for their physical and mental health.

2. “Are there any lifestyle changes that could help manage their conditions, or prevent future illness?”

• Why this matters: Lifestyle changes, like diet, sleep, stress and exercise, are necessary to manage things like diabetes, heart disease and other common conditions in older adults. Make sure you are all on the same page about changes to daily routines that will lead to better health.

3. “Are there any side effects to my parents’ medications?”

• Why this matters: Some prescription medications may increase the risk of falls, drowsiness and even rashes. It is important that you know what side effects your loved one’s medications may have. Also make sure you understand when and how they should be taking each drug and any other important safety information from their pharmacy.

4. “When should we set up a long-term care plan?”

• Why this matters: A long-term care plan outlines important details related to how you will address your parents’ needs as they continue to age. These plans often include questions like:
  • When will we know when it is time for additional care?
  • Will my loved one enter a nursing home? Or will we look for extra help to come into their home?
  • How will we pay for this extra care? Will insurance help?
• It is important that you work with your loved one’s primary care doctor to address these questions. They may even refer you to a social worker who can sit with you and discuss your families’ unique needs while creating a plan you and your parent feel comfortable with.

5. “Are there certain foods my parent should not eat? Or foods they should eat more of?”

• Why this matters: What you eat impacts many chronic health conditions. For example, too much salt puts strain on your heart, a bad thing if you have heart disease or high blood pressure. And eating more fiber is a great way to manage your blood sugars if you have diabetes. Ask your loved one’s doctor if they should be making any changes to their diet to help control their diagnosis.

6. “What local resources are available for additional help?”

• Why this matters: Being a caregiver demands much of your time and energy. But it is important to know you are not alone. There are a number of organizations in your area that can help with everything from transportation to electricity bills. If your loved one needs additional assistance with food, housing, nursing care, socialization, behavior health or something else, ask their doctor to connect you with a social worker or community resource.

7. “What vaccinations does my parent need this year?”

• Staying up to date on vaccinations is one of the best ways to avoid a scary and costly ER visit. Make sure you ask the doctor when your loved one should come in for their Flu, COVID and RSV shots. And make sure they have had their shingles and pneumonia vaccines too!

8. “What changes in health should I watch for?"

• Confusion, lack of balance, a change in eating patterns and sleep difficulties may all be signs that your parents need additional care or a change to their care plan. Make sure you ask their doctor if there are specific signs or symptoms you should be watching and reporting back to their care team.

9. “Who should we call if there are problems?”

• “When do I call 911?” “When should we go to urgent care?” “Can we get a same day appointment at the doctors office?” These may be some of the questions you find yourself asking when your parent get sick, falls or has a different urgent medical need. Make sure you talk to your doctor about who to contact in each of these scenarios so that 1. Your parent gets the care they need and 2. You don’t get an unexpected bill!

10. “How can my parent’s memory and brain stay healthy?”

• Memory loss is one of the biggest concerns for caregivers of aging adults. In addition to having your loved one’s doctor complete a dementia screening, you should ask about daily activities that can keep their memory and mind is the best shape possible.

A version of this was previously published on Caregiver.com.