When the family feels mom or dad is having trouble living independently, the first step is to discuss the situation with the parent, and visit their physician for an assessment of the physical and mental symptoms that are causing the concern.When your parent needs more help to live at home than your family can provide, home care may be able to help. In Canada, home care is generally managed on a regional level, so your regional health authority should have a home care contact telephone number.Sandra Loewen, of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, recommends doing some preparation first by talking to friends who have helped their parents access support services, to learn from their experience.When you do call the home care number, be prepared to answer a series of questions about the needs of your aging parent. Based on those answers, they will recommend next steps. They may suggest specific services you should investigate, or, if they conclude there may be a need for services to help your parent live safely at home, they may put you in contact with a case worker who will visit your parent to understand their situation, and complete a needs assessment.The case worker can bring in other professionals to consult on various issues, related to mental, physical, or medication issues. The case worker will decide whether home care services are required, and will also be able to recommend other services which the family may want to arrange for the parent. More at www.q3network.ca