Taking care of your parents when their health starts to decline is a huge and time consuming responsibility. Plus, deciding when to offer help isn’t always easy. As we age, many of us don’t want to admit that we can’t take care of ourselves adequately, so don’t expect your parents to admit it either.

    Some signs to watch for when deciding whether an elderly relative or acquaintance is having problems that need to be addressed:

• Weight loss. If the relative isn’t actively trying to lose weight, unexplained weight loss could indicate difficulty cooking (holding utensils, reading recipes), loss of smell or taste, or underlying problems like malnutrition or dementia. With Alzheimer’s a loved one may forget how to hold a utensil or know what it is. Talk, ask questions. Sometimes heavier seasoning may help to tweak an appetite.

• Overall appearance. Take a good look at your aged relatives’ daily hygiene. Are their clothes clean? Do they bathe regularly, brush their teeth, groom themselves? If not, they could be suffering from depression, dementia, or other health problems.

• Mobility. Muscle weakness and joint problems that grow more pronounced with age can limit an elderly person’s mobility and endanger his or her safety. Do they have trouble walking long distances, or seem unsteady on their feet? A fall can be serious, but a cane or a walker can minimize the danger.

• Lifestyle. Pay attention to any loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy. Do they still participate in hobbies, listen to music, exercise, and socialize with friends? Physical and mental limitations can be compounded if the person becomes isolated at home.

• Emotional balance. Pay attention to moods. Increased anxiety, sudden mood swings, or lack of interest in activities can be signs of depression or other health concerns.

You should understand that you will not always get the truth when asking questions about health, eating habits and such. Casual and unannounced visits may be necessary to find out what you need to know. Also, make it a habit to count pills, if your there were 20 “take two pills in the morning,” on your last visit and 20 pills three days later, something is wrong.

I was surprised to learn that Father’s Day in the US was not a permanent national holiday until 1972, when President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972. I (my family) have always celebrated Father’s Day and gave my dad, ties, hankies or scarves every year. Since my dad had a clean handkerchief every day I assume that these were appreciated and used often.

The “mother” of Father’s Day was Sonora Smart Dodd, according to historians. The daughter of a widowed Civil War veteran who had raised her on his own, Dodd came up with the idea when listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. She held her own special tribute for her father on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington. She began a campaign for an official celebration soon after.

President Calvin Coolidge expressed support for the holiday in 1919, and in 1926 a National Father’s Day Committee was formed in New York City to join the campaign. In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a proclamation designating the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day, however, it wasn’t until 1972 that President Richard Nixon officially recognized it as a national holiday.

As with Mother’s Day, the official flower of Father’s Day is the rose: red for fathers who are still living, and white for fathers who have passed away.

See cute article about sit-com dads: A history of TV’s most famous dads

If you are managing older workers be sure to eliminate lingering stereotypes that may lurk in the back of your mind. Be mindful that any kind of narrow thinking on your part may cut into your productivity. You may have a lot of good younger workers, but that does not mean you can afford to neglect your older workforce.

Some baby boomers are the hidden gems of the work place, they may have skills and attitudes that younger workers have not mastered. Plus they may remember where that old file is stored

Just remember your ABC’s when managing older workers:

A. Address your attitude.  Eliminate stereotypes from your thinking, positive or negative. You may believe older employees are harder workers, or that they’re just waiting for retirement. Treat every employee as an individual without jumping to conclusions based on age. Stereotypes often keep us from tapping talent.

B. Give them feedback.  Many younger managers are a little hesitant to give older workers feedback. But remember that older workers need to know their value to a team or the importance of their work. And they need to know where and how they need to improve.

C. Consider making them mentors.  Older workers have a mountain of experience. Make use of it. They can help steer younger workers though minefields that are never written in the company policy manual, and they can provide insights based on their own successes and failures.