One of my dear friends started developing severe memory loss when she turned 85. In the course of that, she also became severely ill and had to go to the hospital. After three days in the hospital, she wasn’t just forgetting things. She had developed full dementia. She didn’t recognize me at all, even though we were very close. When I walked in to visit her she was having a tea party with three other imaginary friends. Fortunately, her brother-in-law had quite a bit of experience taking care of older relatives. He did his homework and followed up with the doctors. They discovered it wasn’t what a staff person told me, that “old people often totally lose it when they go into the hospital.” Instead it turned out it was caused by the combination of two of her medications. As soon as they adjusted her medication, she was back to normal. Very forgetful, but she knew me again!

Sadly, that can still happen today. It’s just as vital for us to do our own homework and follow up with doctors for all the medications our beloveds take, not to mention what we take. I have a great resource for you that Alzheimer’s Reading Room wrote about. I want to encourage any of you with aged parents, relatives, and friends to head over there and read today’s article. Then click on that link and print out and save the two lists of 136 Drugs that can cause cognitive impairment . It’s only going to be available to non-subscribers for a few days, until April 7. I’m familiar with the site, and think that it is vital information for all of us. I would suggest that you print that list and take it with you whenever you go to the doctor, or take an aged parent to the doctor. Discuss with the doctor the list along with any other drugs s/he is prescribing that isn’t on the list, the possible ramifications, and all the possible side effects of any new drug and of the impact a new drug will have on other drugs AND non-drug pills, like vitamins, that you or they are taking.

It’s not fun watching a beloved aged parent drift away into dementia and hallucinations. Sometimes we don’t get a choice. When we do have the choice, though, it’s a blessing to them as well as to us. A big THANK YOU to Alzheimer’s Reading Room and the creators of the list for a big help to all of us.

With the new year’s arrival, it’s time for some new and positive habits. Here are three good habits to work on jointly with your senior parents.

Medications Check-Up. Whether our elderly parents live with us or on their own, it’s always good for us to keep a bit of an “eye” on them and their situation. Even those who are fiercely independent often appreciate knowing that there are “second eyes” to help them in matters of health safety in regard to medications. Caring.com’s Paula Spencer wrote an interesting article with three questions to ask your aging parents or look into for them.

To her three excellent questions, I would add one more. Have any of their medications expired? If so, see if they would like assistance in discarding them. Be sure it is done in such a way as not to put children, pets, or the environment in danger. Pfizer has an excellent pamphlet that gives additional safety information regarding medications including how to safely discard medication on page 3.

Excercise. This is a vital component of healthy aging, for ourselves and for our parents. As much as is possible, we all need to be proactive at staying active. We might not all want to join Beatrice Maullin in pressing weights at 87 , however we do need to look for some way to stay limber. My favorite exercise is tennis. I don’t have the opportunity to do it often right now, but I know that when I am ready, my city offers many options for group play through the parks and recreation. Many cities also offer senior discounts, senior groups, and even lessons. Hmmm, second career anyone?

If swimming is more your forte, check around for heated swimming pools in your area. The YMCA and YWCA are good places to start. If any of you have a friend living in a retirement community with a heated pool, you might see if they are allowed to bring guests for small fees. Those pools are often warmer than most which is wonderful for those with arthritis or those who, like me, freeze easily.

There is always walking, of course, which can be done anywhere. If your elderly parent is doing the walking, it might be wise to ensure they are walking with a partner or they carry a cell phone with them in case of any emergency. This can be easier said than done, but is well worth the effort expended in peace of mind for you and them.

Eating healthily. It’s a good idea to monitor your aging relative’s refrigerator and cupboards. Look for both a good variety of healthy foods and that they are tossing food that is beyond the expiration date. Whether it’s Thanksgiving leftovers or January pot pies, food that is kept too long is unsafe, as I wrote about in Leftover Safety.

Also, when talking food with senior parents, make sure that they are storing food right after it is made. I had a good friend who didn’t like to overheat her refrigerator. She would leave the food out until it was cool before putting it in the freezer or fridge. As a result, she inadvertently contaminated a big pot of soup. Every few weeks, she would pull out a batch, eat it, and get sick. It took several months, and several expensive doctor visits to finally track down the problem. Needless to say, the rest of the soup went into the trash, and she now puts all food immediately into the fridge or freezer.

Hopefully, these ideas will lead to healthier elderly parents and healthier caregivers. In the meantime, if you have any suggestions to add to this list, please leave them in the comments section below.