Free for families · from Caring Companions
When Mom or Dad needs more help.
A free video series for families who are starting to worry about a parent. Follow Don, his daughter Lisa and his son Mike from the first worried visit to six months later. Narrated by Samantha, the owner of Caring Companions. Every part has a free page to print.
See all 8 parts ↓The family you’ll follow
Don, 81
retired mail carrier,
proud, funny, independent
Lisa, 52
his daughter in Springfield,
loving and overwhelmed
Mike, 48
his son in Kansas City,
with his own side of it
Their story carries the lessons, so you’re never figuring this out alone.
The series
Start at the beginning, or jump to where your family is right now. Each part stands on its own, and they’re better together.
The signs that a parent may need more help, how to notice without spying, and the sudden changes that can’t wait.
Free printable: The Changes I’m Noticing →When brothers and sisters see it differently, and how to make a family plan that starts with what Mom or Dad wants.
Free printable: Our Family Plan →Why a loving, true conversation can still feel like an ambush, and what works better: one person, one topic, side by side.
Free printable: Planning Your First Conversation →What a parent’s no is usually protecting, how to turn no into maybe, and when safety can’t wait.
Free printable: When Mom or Dad Says No →Help is a ladder, not a cliff. Home care vs home health, hiring someone yourself vs an agency, and the questions to ask.
Free printable: Questions to Ask Any Home Care Provider →What Medicare does and usually doesn’t cover, long-term care insurance, veterans benefits, and sharing the load as a family.
Free printable: Ways to Pay for Care →A first visit that’s mostly listening, a small plan, the first caregiver morning, and getting through the first few weeks.
Free printable: Getting Ready for the First Visit →Tomatoes along the fence, a daughter who gets to be a daughter again, and keeping the conversation going as things change.
Free printable: Checking In Every Few Months →If your family is near Springfield and starting this conversation, we’re glad to listen. Call (417) 234-8494, or read how getting started works.
If your mom or dad has active Medicaid and wants to be in charge of their own care, our sister company, Caring Companions Consumer Directed Services, can help: caringcds.com · (417) 218-2888.
A fall with an injury, or signs of a stroke: call 911 · Sudden confusion, over hours or a day or two: call their doctor now, or get them seen today at urgent care or the emergency room. · Emotional crisis: call or text 988.
General education for families, not medical, legal or financial advice. Don, Lisa and Mike are a fictional family.