For adult children of aging parents

Your parent needs help.
Here’s what to do first.

Calm, practical guidance for the moment everything changes. What matters right now, what comes next, and the mistakes to avoid. No fluff. No sales pitch.

Start the 2-minute guide View checklists

Free to useNo sign-up neededFrom Ron Roel’s book

A woman on the phone at her kitchen table, pointing to a date on her calendar

First 72 Hours checklistWhat to assess and document now

Where to begin

What’s happening right now?

Pick the one closest to your situation. Each page tells you what matters first, in the right order.

Mom or Dad just fellWhat to check, who to call, and what to write down in the first hours.Start here → The hospital is sending them homeWhat you must understand and arrange before discharge day.Start here → A dementia diagnosisThe questions to ask, the documents to get in place, and what to expect next.Start here → Something else is going onA parent refusing help, a sibling disagreement, driving, assisted living. See all common situations.See them all →

A woman sorting her notebook into Today, Can wait, and Someone else

7 questions · 2 minutes

If you feel overwhelmed, start here

Answer a few simple questions. Know exactly what to focus on first.

The decision tree sorts the noise into the right order, so the one thing that can’t wait doesn’t get buried under ten things that can.

Tell us what’s happeningYes or no questions. Nothing to type, nothing to sign up for.

See your priorities in orderWhat to do today, what can wait, and what to hand to someone else.

Get the right checklistPrintable, practical, and matched to your situation.

Take me to the decision tree

Key stages in early caregiving

Some things become impossible if you wait too long.

See all checklists →

First 72 HoursYou just realized something is wrong. What to assess and document immediately.

Hospital DischargeThey’re being sent home. What to understand and arrange before they leave.

Legal ReadinessPower of attorney, healthcare directives, and documents that must exist before a crisis.

First 30 DaysEstablishing routines, understanding needs, and setting up support that lasts.

Before a CrisisIf things are stable now, use this time wisely. Prepare for what may come.

Common MistakesDelays, assumptions, and oversights that create bigger problems later.

Your guide

Ron Roel has been where you are.

A Yale graduate and former Newsday reporter, Ron spent years interviewing the experts on aging, then lived the same decisions with his own family. Everything on this site comes from that work and his book, The CareGiving Navigator.