If it seems your elderly parents are not paying sufficient attention to their health care, this information may be helpful. It's a list of the ten most common mistakes aging parents make with their health care from a study by the Institute For Health Care Advancement.

It offers a glimpse into the reasons elderly parents seem to willingly put their safety in danger. Use it as a guide to help you help your folks stay healthy longer

1. Driving when it's no longer safe

Driving a car equates to independence in America. It's a difficult privilege to give up. Yet, knowing when it is no longer safe to be behind the wheel is important for the safety of everyone on the road. Just because a parent is elderly is not necessarily an indication of driving ability. My dad at 89 is remarkably alert and responsive on the road. I feel perfectly comfortable with him behind the wheel.

My 57 year old brother is a different story. His MS slows down his reaction time and impairs his vision. I shudder to think of him driving, even for the short distances he goes around his neighborhood.

2. Fighting the aging process and its appearance

This is more than skin creams and hair coloring. Many elderly parents refuse to wear a hearing aid, corrective eye wear or dentures. How about your mom or dad? Each of these omissions specifically relates to long term health.

My 87 year old mom has significant weakness and arthritis in both knees. Standing up is difficult and she is unsteady on her feet. Still, she refuses to use her cane and walker. Avoid their use is a faulty attempt to maintain her independence.

3. Reluctance to discuss intimate health problems with the doctor or health care provider

Our elderly parents may be embarrassed to discuss sexual or urinary difficulties. Sometimes problems they think as minor, such as stomach upsets, constipation, or jaw pain, may require further evaluation.

4. Not understanding what the doctor told them about their health problem or medical treatment plan

Doctors don't always make their instructions clear. Elderly parents are often reluctant to ask the doctor to repeat information or to clarify it for them. Not understanding a condition or its implications can quickly lead to serious health consequences.

5. Disregarding the serious potential of a fall

Falls are the number one reason for deaths and injuries to the elderly and one of the leading reasons for nursing home admissions. The painful fractures that result can take months to heal. Simple precautions go a long way. Start by removing scatter rugs from the home. Be sure to have good lighting in the home and work areas. Participating in exercise programs to improve muscle tone and strength is also helpful.

6. Failure to have a system or a plan for managing medicines

Poor medication management is often the cause of avoidable hospitalizations and illnesses. It's not unusual for an aging parent to take 10, 20 or more pills daily. Managing so many pills is a giant task for even the able minded. Failure to take pills as prescribed means more trips to the doctor's office and hospital.

The solution is to use daily schedules, pill box reminders or check-off records to avoid taking incorrect dosages. Keep an up-to-date list of youe elderly parents prescription drugs, over the counter medications and vitamins your parent is taking and take that list to every doctor's appointment. Include dose, frequency and the reason that the medicine is being taken.

7. Not having a single primary care physician responsible for the overall plan of treatment

Medicine has become so specialized our parents have "part" doctors, a physician for different body parts. They have a doctor for the heart, one for bones, one for kidneys, one for feet, etc. Using multiple doctors and treatment schedules means a problem can be overlooked or mistreated. Since the doctors don't take it upon themselves to ask about other treatment, you have to do it. A single physician can act as a treatment manager for the overall plan.

8. Not seeking medical attention when early possible warning signs occur

Sometimes it's because elderly parents feel they don't have the money. Sometimes they feel it's a waste of time and money because they are aged and "don't really matter anymore". The reality: delays in treatment can result in a more advanced stage of illness, a poorer prognosis and heap stress on everyone in the family.

9. Not participating in prevention programs

Simple prevention steps like getting flu and pneumonia shots, routine breast and prostate exams are central to remaining healthy. The programs are inexpensive and widely available in the community. Taking simple preventative steps keeps parents healthier longer and independence longer and reduces their health care costs.

10. Not asking loved ones for help

Our elderly parents come from a generation that is stoic and fiercely self-reliant. They don't want to be a burden to us either. So in a misguided effort to maintain their independence, they simply don't ask for help. Failing to ask for help when it's obviously needed could also be an early sign of dementia.

Staying alert to signs of ill health means a catching a problem early before it advances. If you have a question about a health matter for an elderly parent and want a trustworthy source, check out MedlinePlus.

You'll find information on over 740 diseases, a list of hospitals and physicians, a medical encyclopedia and a medical dictionary, too. It's a goldmine of dependable, free health information from the National Library of Medicine.