"When I ask you to take an aspirin, please don't take the whole bottle."
--Mary Pipher, from Another Country: Navigating the Emotional Terrain of Our Elders

Let's say you've just helped your mom move into your house; she's getting older and neither of you were comfortable with her living alone. Or you're worried about your dad, who lives alone and is doing well, but seems to be slipping up on the housework. Amidst the complex of care that you're providing for your mom, or in the middle of worrying about your dad, probably the last thing you're thinking is that she needs a pedicure, or that he needs to listen to a story.

But sometimes problems and solutions to them have to do with toenails and talking books, instead of hospital stays and dementia. Some "problems" of aging aren't that complicated, and the number of companies that address such problems is growing larger all the time. Ranging from companies that provide pedicures for the homebound elderly, to "hired buddies" who will visit your out-of-state parent in a nursing home, the American entrepreneurial spirit is attaching itself to the challenge of caring for the elderly. Buyer beware: of course some of these services will be offered by for-profit companies, others by nonprofits, or by your state or local government; but the key is to explore possibilities. So if your mom needs some tender loving care, use your imagination in the different ways you can deliver it to her.

In their book, Parentcare Survival Guide, authors Enid Pritikin and Trudy Reece, explore useful and abundant services that may be available in your community. Some of them are listed here:

• Postal alert programs arrange for mail carriers to be on the lookout for trouble signs at the homes of participants.
• Telephone reassurance services can make daily phone calls to the elderly who live alone and are isolated.
• Personal emergency response systems allow people to summon help when they can't get to the phone.
• Handicapped-accessible transportation services offer rides to people who can't use public transportation.
• Friendly visitor and adopt-a-grandparent programs can give an isolated elderly person visitors.
• Share-a-home programs match up elderly people who need a place to live with those who have extra space in their homes and are willing to share it with others.
• Adult day services programs can give your elderly loved one a place to go and be social or participate in other activities, while you go to work or take a break from the work of caring for your elderly loved one.
• Talking Books or Books-On-Tape can be used by sight-impaired elderly folks or those who have trouble holding books or turning pages. Your local librarian can help you find available books.
• National associations, such as the Alzheimer's Association or the Arthritis Foundation have branch offices all over the country. They can often provide services or refer you to places that can.
• Medical equipment loan closets stock everything from bedpans to hospital beds.
• Home health agencies provide a wide range of assistance from skilled nursing care to help with household chores. Remember, one key to caring for your elderly loved one is to try to provide the right amount of care; too much help can be as worrisome as too little.