Whether the scenario involves persuading someone to stick to their medication routine, get off the couch and plug back into the world, or just change a well-worn shirt, motivating a senior can sometimes require tact and finesse.

In many ways, trying to help an aging parent or loved one isn’t unlike trying to motivate a high-school senior. Both are at the end of one stage of life, and neither knows what the next stage will bring, so they often simply go ...