Trusted reading for caring for your parents
Selected articles from trusted health organisations on caring for older adults, opening on their original sites.
Selected reading
Latest articles
Sleep and Older Adults (opens National Institute on Aging in a new tab)
Source: National Institute on Aging · Sleep and memory
Describes how sleep patterns shift with age while the need for seven to nine hours stays the same, and offers habits that support better rest. It also covers insomnia, sleep apnea and the sleep problems that often accompany dementia.
Diabetes in Older People (opens National Institute on Aging in a new tab)
Source: National Institute on Aging · Chronic conditions
Introduces type 2 diabetes as it affects older adults, including warning signs, how it is diagnosed and the daily steps that help keep blood sugar under control. Useful for families helping a parent manage meals, activity and check-ups.
Nutrition for Older Adults (opens MedlinePlus in a new tab)
Source: MedlinePlus · Nutrition and hydration
Notes that older adults usually need fewer calories but just as many nutrients, and points to the kinds of food that deliver them. It lists common barriers such as eating alone, dental or swallowing problems and medicine side effects, with ideas for working around each.
Taking Care of Yourself: Tips for Caregivers (opens National Institute on Aging in a new tab)
Source: National Institute on Aging · Caring for parents
A reminder that family caregivers need looking after too, with signs that the strain is building and practical ways to ask relatives and friends for help. It also suggests how other family members can support the main caregiver.
High Blood Pressure and Older Adults (opens National Institute on Aging in a new tab)
Source: National Institute on Aging · Chronic conditions
Explains why blood pressure tends to rise with age and why it often goes unnoticed without regular checks. It covers lifestyle changes that help and tips for taking blood pressure medicine consistently.
Taking Medicines Safely as You Age (opens National Institute on Aging in a new tab)
Source: National Institute on Aging · Medication safety
Covers the basics of using medicines safely in later life: questions to ask when starting a new one, watching for side effects and keeping track of everything being taken. Helpful for families who help a parent organise daily doses.
Topic guides
Pick a topic to see everything we've gathered on it.
- Caring for parentsOrganising day-to-day care and supporting the family members who give it.
- Falls preventionPractical steps that lower the risk of falls at home and outside.
- Medication safetyUsing medicines safely, especially when there are several.
- Nutrition and hydrationBalanced meals and enough to drink as we age.
- Sleep and memoryGood sleep, changes in memory and when to see a doctor.
- Chronic conditionsLiving with diabetes, blood pressure and other long-term conditions in later life.
General information from third-party sources, not medical advice. We are not responsible for the content of external sites; talk to a doctor about anything to do with your parents' health.