A. Don't be afraid to approach the subject. Be sure to express your appreciation and re-affirm his strengths.

Tips for helping your father develop a strong, secure, diverse personal safety net:

1. Value his wisdom. Remember that he's the one who raised you! He can do almost anything... except, maybe, ask for directions.
2. It's OK to seek help from others, other men do. Talk about what other men do that he can learn from.
3. Discuss how his workplace knowledge and skills can be applied to social connections, interpersonal situations and personal challenges.
4. Encourage him to take time for himself and reach out to others. One way to do this is to sign-up to be a good neighbor at Family Support Network. Helping others helps us.
5. Ask your Dad for specific things you can do and specific ways you can help. Keep the conversation going!

While Tyler's wife, Cynthia, was in a coma, he noticed that their social life was falling apart. He decided to take action. He used his engineering skills and tools, including faxes, emails, computer calendar, floral shops, and local take-out food places to maintain and even strengthen their ties to their family and friends. He called upon his safety net for ideas and support.