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Helping a parent who's getting older

⏱ 20 min4 steps

A parent getting older brings a pile of paper and a vocabulary nobody taught you. letters and test reports start landing on your kitchen table. Claude can put that paper into plain language, so you walk into the next doctor visit with your questions ready. Bring your notes, and any report or letter that's confusing you. Feeling lost at the start is ordinary. Claude can get state and plan details wrong, and nothing here is legal, financial or medical advice.

Medicare The US government's health insurance for people 65 and older, and some younger people with disabilities. All words
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Steps

Step 1 of 40 done · about 20 min left

  1. Step 1 of 4, not done yet
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  1. Write down what you know

    Claude can help without knowing who your parent is. "My mom, 81, lives alone" tells it enough. If your parent can make their own decisions, ask their OK before you share their health details with anyone, Claude included.

    1. On paper or in your phone's notes, write down their age and where they need help.
    2. Add their doctors by kind, like "heart doctor", and their medicines.
    3. Add any report or letter you're trying to understand.
    4. Leave out their name, date of birth, address, Medicare number and any account number.
    That's not what I see
    I don't know their medicines or their doctors.
    Look at the pill bottles, or ask the pharmacy for a list. Write down what you can find. Claude can help you work out what's missing.
    My parent doesn't want their details shared.
    Respect that. You can still ask Claude general questions without their details, like what a word on a Medicare letter means.

  2. Have Claude explain the paper

    This has Claude explain a report or letter in plain language, using only what's on it. Before you take a photo of it, cover your parent's name, date of birth, address, and Medicare or account numbers with strips of paper. Check the photo up close, and zoom in with two fingers, before you send it. A photo can catch more than the page.

    1. Open the on your phone or laptop and start a new chat.
    2. Copy the prompt below.
    I'm helping a parent who's getting older. I'll give you a doctor's report, an appointment list or a Medicare letter, with their name and numbers covered. Explain any medical or insurance words in plain language, and say what the paper asks us to do, if anything. Use only what's in the paper. If something isn't there, write NOT IN THE PAPER. If an answer depends on their state or their exact Medicare plan, say so and tell me where to check instead of answering. Don't give medical, legal or financial advice. Here it is: [attach the photo, or paste the words here]
    1. Paste it into the chat.
    2. Attach the photo. In the phone app, tap the button next to the message box for adding photos, then pick your photos. On a laptop, click the + button in the lower-left corner of the message box, then Add files or photos. Or replace the part in square brackets with the words, typed out.
    3. Send it.
    prompt What you type to Claude. A good one says what you want, how to work and what never to do. All wordsClaude app Claude on your phone or computer, where you chat with it by typing. claude.ai is the same thing in a web browser. All words

    You should see:

    The paper's hard words in plain language, what it asks you to do, and a note wherever the answer depends on their state or plan.

    That's not what I see
    I don't have a paper to explain.
    Skip this step. The next two prompts work from your notes alone.
    Claude gave me an answer about Medicare and I'm not sure it's right.
    Check it on Medicare.gov, by calling 1-800-MEDICARE, or with a before you act on it. Chatbots have given wrong answers about specific states and plans.SHIP counselor A trained counselor in your state who helps with Medicare questions for free. SHIP stands for State Health Insurance Assistance Program. All words
    Medicare won't talk to me about my parent.
    Call with your parent next to you, so they can give their OK on the phone. To call on your own later, they can fill in Medicare's authorization form in their Medicare.gov account.
    Claude explained something medical, and I want to be sure.
    Write it down as a question for their doctor or pharmacist. Claude can't see their records.

  3. Ask Claude for a plan for the week

    This prompt turns your notes and the paper into a plan for the week, with blanks where it needs something from you.

    1. Copy the prompt below.
    Now help me make a simple plan for the week from my notes and the paper: appointments, medicines to pick up, and who does what. Use only what I've told you. Put FILL IN wherever you need a day, a time or a person I haven't given you. Here are my notes: [paste your notes here]
    1. Paste it into the same chat. Replace the part in square brackets with your notes.
    2. Send it.
    3. Fill in each FILL IN, and share the plan with anyone else who helps.

    You should see:

    A plan for the week laid out by day, with FILL IN where a day, a time or a person is missing.

    That's not what I see
    The plan doesn't fit how things really are at home.
    Tell Claude what's different, like who lives nearby or which days you work, and ask it to try again.

  4. Have Claude list questions for the doctor

    This prompt lists questions for the next visit. The answers come from the doctor.

    1. Copy the prompt below.
    List questions I could ask at my parent's next doctor visit, based only on my notes and the paper. Keep each question short, and put the most important first. Don't answer the questions yourself.
    1. Paste it into the same chat and send it.
    2. Pick the three that matter most, and copy them into your phone's notes to take with you.

    You should see:

    A short list of questions for the doctor, most important first, with no answers.

    That's not what I see

    Nobody has reported a snag on this step yet. Getting stuck is normal. Read the step again one line at a time, and compare your screen with the video.

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Free help near your parent

Free public services can answer what Claude can't. The Eldercare Locator, from the US Administration for Community Living, connects older adults and their families to local services. SHIP counselors give free help with Medicare in every state.

  • For local help, like home-delivered meals or the local Area Agency on Aging, go to eldercare.acl.gov or call 1-800-677-1116.
  • For Medicare questions, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), or go to Medicare.gov.
  • For free one-on-one Medicare counseling, find your parent's state SHIP at shiphelp.org.
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Real stories

  • Jodi Roseman, 61, helping her mother, 94. AI tools, Gemini among them, explained the jargon in her echo reports and helped build daily schedules. Used Gemini. AARP, October 27, 2025

  • Lisa Mitchell, 59, helping her father, 92. ChatGPT made a daily plan for him. She said it gave her "time and peace of mind." Used ChatGPT. AARP, October 27, 2025

  • A study of 1,300 caregivers by Monin and colleagues. 37% had used chatbots. Of those, 25% used them for caregiving. Used AI chatbots. PLOS ONE, September 23, 2026

Where it fell short

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Your challenge

Write down three questions for your parent's next doctor visit, with Claude's help. Take the list with you.

Helpful extras

Last checked 2026-10-20

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