Synopses & Reviews
This latest, enhanced and updated edition will help guide the thinking of those challenged with aging in the family.
Since the last edition in 2006, much has happened in the field of eldercare. There is now an increasing awareness of the complex challenges posed by the expanding aging population in North America. When our parents reach a certain age and have difficulty coping, we find ourselves wondering how to provide them with the kind of love, care, support, and attention they need, just as they have done for us all our lives.
The third edition of Parenting Your Parents shows, through 24 case studies and the personal experiences of the authors, that you are not alone and offers crucial advice to help you along this difficult but rewarding journey. It also offers a new Vulnerability Index to measure what level of need your parents may have right now, as well as a financial planning section and resource directory.
Review
With this third edition of Parenting Your Parents: Straight Talk about Aging in the Family the authors, Bart Mindszenthy and Dr. Michael Gordon, have added a new level of insight and sensitivity to the issues encountered by families as they try to unravel the various problems that they will inevitably face as their parents age and gradually decline. Caledon Spectrum
Review
These Family Case Studies provide a compelling context in which to absorb the authors' practical advice about addressing - as a family - issues like stroke, surgery, independence, dementia, and end of life decisions with patience, tact, and reason. WhaleyEstateLitigation.com
Review
[The] authors write eloquently and compassionately about each case study, weighing in on treatment plans and on which family members are behaving suitably under the circumstances. Mindszenthy's chapter on his mother's dementia and the personal anguish it caused his family is a cry from the heart that sends the ultimate message of the book with great clarity: 'It's a portion of life none of us is prepared to - or wants to - face. However, it's there, and for each of us, it's there in a different way and form.' Publisher's Weekly (US)
Synopsis
Since the last edition in 2006, there is now an increasing awareness of the complex challenges posed by the expanding aging population in North America. The third edition of Parenting Your Parents shows that you are not alone and offers crucial advice to help you along this difficult but rewarding journey.
About the Author
Bart J. Mindszenthy, APR, FCPRS, LM, is a family caregiver and eldercaring advocate with five books on the subject. He is also a partner in a communications firm operating in Canada and the U.S. He lives in Toronto.
Michael Gordon, MD, MSC, and FRCPC, is professor of medicine at the University of Toronto and the head of Geriatrics and Internal Medicine at Toronto's Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. He lives in Toronto.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Introduction: The Case for the Cause: Caring for Aging Loved Ones Is a Major
North American Social Issue and Challenge
Parenting Your Parents: Stepping into the Unknown
The Rocky Road of Responsibility
Case Studies:
1. Control: Laying on the Guilt Trip
2. Surgery: Weighing the Odds
3. Eldertravel: Balancing Risks and Benefits
4. Independence: Helping Parents Live Their Lives
5. Breaking the Mold: The Rebellious Grandmother
6. Culture Clash: Pitting Values against Needs
7. Substance Abuse: Drinking All Day Keeps Reality Away
8. Sexuality, Romance, and the Family: When Children Worry
about Their Parents
9. Tapping the Human Spirit: Its Never Too Late to Create
10. Siblings: In Charge and On the Attack
11. The Conflicted Single Child: A Confusing Battle of Priorities
12. Finding the Middle Ground: Engaging Mediation with Age Related Issues
13. The Stroke: Sudden Challenges and Changes
14. Dementia and Depression: Reading the Signs
15. Advancing Dementia: When Life Gets More Difficult
16. Technology: Opening New Avenues of Care Management
17. The Difficulties of Decision-Making: Deciding What Treatments Make the Most Sense
18. When Love and the Law Conflict: Whos Right, Who has the Right?
19. Were On Our Own: How to Plan for the Future
20. Finding a New Life: Corrections and Concerns
21. Decision Time: Planning for the Inevitable
22. End of Life: Caring and Sharing
23. Moving On: Living Life without a Loved One
More than the Birds and the Bees: Having the Conversation with Your Parent
by Michael Gordon
Roz and Max
by Michael Gordon
A Week of Trauma Sets the Stage for Years of Hurt and Hope
by Bart Mindszenthy
The Personal Parenting Planner
The Financial Considerations: What You Need to Know
Directory of Key North American Resources