Mary Alexander: Hi! I'm Mary Alexander from Home Instead Senior Care. Today, I'm talking about how to help your parents have good communications with their healthcare providers.

According to the Handbook of Communication and Aging Research in the United States people over the age of 65 visit their doctors on an average of 8 times per year, compared to the general population's average of 5 visits per year.

But the normal aging process which may involve sensory loss, decline in memory, and slower processing of information can make a doctor's visit a troubling and scary proposition for many seniors. Truly at a time when they need to have the best communication possible, the challenges of aging make it most difficult. Helping your parents prepare for visits with their medical professionals can help assure that they will receive the best possible care and have positive outcomes.

In this video series, we'll outline why it's important for your parents to have good communication with their healthcare providers and the possible consequences of not doing so.

For example, according to a 2006 article in the Washington Post at least 1.

5 millions Americans are sickened, injured, or killed each year errors in prescribing, dispensing, and taking medications.

After we talk about what good communication can offer, we'll talk about what legal forms and other documents your parents need in order to assure that their medical wishes will be met even if they are not in a position to communicate it directly.

Lastly, we'll provide you with the tips and strategies for your parents to follow before, during, and after a visit with a healthcare provider.

Before we begin, let me tell you a little bit about Home Instead Senior Care. Home Instead Senior Care, the national leader in providing in home care for seniors, is bringing you this video series to help you help your senior loved ones. Helping seniors is something Home Instead has been doing passionately now for more than 15 years.

I not only work for home instead, but I am a Certified Senior Advisor. More importantly, I am currently a long distance caregiver for my dad and I've spent several months caring for my mom locally.

In the next video, we'll talk about why it's important for your parents to have good communication with their healthcare providers.