A hard-to-swallow truth is that, sometimes, aging parents might be keeping secrets from their families. While in some cases it’s not about all-out lying, but rather about withholding information that is important to their health and safety, in other cases you might find out that what you’ve known is completely out of touch with reality.

Sometimes it happens because seniors feel like their independence is gradually fading, or because they’re embarrassed to ask for help. You might be one of those seniors, or your parents might.

Either way, it’s a subject that needs to be addressed. Because what’s considered by one party unimportant or embarrassing, the other party might find it dangerous or problematic.

Let’s discuss 10 common secrets elderly parents are keeping, and why it’s important to stop doing this: