Mother’s Day is the time to show your mom some serious love. But how? Most of us love flowers and chocolate. So, consider getting mom a little of both. What we really treasure, though, is the priceless gift of time together and conversation. And there are few things more important to talk about than your mom’s health. So here are a few priceless gifts for mom on her special day:
- Make sure your mom is safe and healthy. Talk to her about all of the drugs she’s taking, both over the counter drugs and painkiller prescriptions. If your mom has a chronic condition like asthma or diabetes, find out whether her primary care doctor is doing a good job of coordinating her care. Click here to learn how your mom’s primary care doctor can help her. And, if your mom wants to stop smoking, lose weight or change another unhealthy behavior, here are some tips for motivating her to do so.
- Talk to your mom about planning for her future health care needs. Who would she want to take care of her when she cannot take care of herself? Would she like to remain at home as long as possible? What are the tradeoffs she would like to make? And, make sure your mother has a reliable health care proxy and a living will. (You should have those too!) Click here for free help with these advance directives.
- Double check that your mom is getting the preventive care services she needs. She should get regular pap tests, pelvic exams and breast exams. If she’s over 60, she should get a shingles vaccine. Medicare and most insurance cover all these tests in full. Next time she’s headed to the doctor, consider tagging along. Mom, like all of us, could use a health care buddy to ask the questions she might not ask.
These are important conversations. Most of us know we should talk to our mothers about their health, but we never quite get around to having the actual conversation. Why not use Mother’s Day as a reason to get serious about your mom’s health? Just talking to your mom about these issues can be healthy for her.
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