Synopses & Reviews
Elder care is an emotional rollercoaster ride: watching parents slowly deteriorate, trying to help while still having a life of your own, and facing your own eventual mortality can be overwhelming. When Shirley Roberts' father passed away six years ago, her life was put on hold as the demands of caring for her elderly mother began to take over her life.
A lot has changed since then. Using her business prowess, Shirley teamed up with her brother David, a financial advisor, and developed what they called Doris Inc. By tackling the situation with their business skills, they found ways to ensure that their mother, Doris, was given top quality care without Shirley or David having to completely sacrifice their own lives. Much of their success has come from sound financial management and a financial planning tool that determined if and when Doris would run out of money, and what to do about it. Doris is now being well taken care of and she is as happy, comfortable, and well looked after, and Shirley has peace of mind and free time to pursue her life's interests.
In Doris Inc., Shirley offers not only advice on how to cope, but proven strategies and a financial planning tool that worked for her. Discover the caregiver strategies of Doris Inc. for finding balance in your life, learning to maximize the quality of life for an elderly person, and confront and plan your own not-so-golden years so that you can have a fulfilling life now and build a plan for those who will be caring for you in the future.
Synopsis
Proven strategies for finding balance in your life and career while maximizing the quality of life for an elderly personWhen Shirley Roberts' father passed away, her life and career were put on hold as the demands of caring for her elderly mother, Doris, began consuming more and more of her time and energy. Using her business prowess, Shirley, with the help of her financial advisor brother, developed Doris Inc. Using their business skills, they found ways to maintain their own lives and careers while ensuring that their mother received top-notch care. Much of their success has come from sound management practices and an original financial forecasting tool tailored for elders. In this heartfelt, beautifully written book, Shirley offers sage advice on how to cope with the emotional roller coaster of eldercare, along with proven care and financial planning strategies and tools that have worked so well for her.
- Features concrete lessons and proven strategies for handling the challenges of eldercare; making tough decisions, finding help, reducing stressful crises and planning for the high costs of eldercare
- Offers practical guidance to avoid sacrificing your own life while providing the best care for your loved ones
- Tips on confronting and planning for your own golden years to ensure that you'll have a fulfilling life after retirement and that those who'll be caring for you won't be overly burdened
Synopsis
Keep your life in balance while maximizing the quality of life of an elderly loved one
When Shirley Roberts' father passed away, her life and career were put on hold as she focused on the demands of caring for her ailing mother, Doris. Drawing on their extensive business experience, Shirley and her brother devised a solution that they called Doris Inc. They applied management practices to caregiving to ensure that their mother received top-notch care, and they could still have lives of their own.
In Doris Inc. Shirley Roberts shares the strategies that worked so well for her family including:
Concrete advice about making tough decisions
Help navigating the health-care maze
Financial pitfalls and ways to avoid them
How to get help in a crisis
Tips on planning for your own golden years . . .
Praise for Doris Inc.
"I was thrust into a caregiving role for my parents without much support or guidance. It was a grueling and life-altering experience. I know just how significant a contribution Doris Inc. will make to the lives of caregivers and their loved ones." Christine Lasky, Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation, Toronto
"Doris Inc. has empowering insights that will help family caregivers lower their fear and stress and approach their role in a prepared, informed and proactive way." Kathi Colwell, RN, Program Manager, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Providence Care Hospital, Kingston
About the Author
Shirley Roberts is a graduate of the Ivey School of Business. She ran her own consulting firm, Market-Driven Solutions Inc., before becoming a published author and a consumer trend-spotter, whose research and advice were sought by media and large corporations. Shirley was a board member of Parkinson Society Canada from 2006-2009 and was the primary caregiver of her mother for seven years.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction 1
Chapter 1: My Heart-Wrenching Caregiving Dilemma 3
Chapter 2: Creating Doris Inc. to Take Better Care of Mom and Me 19
Chapter 3: Finding Balance in My Life 39
Chapter 4: Planning for the Stages of Decline 59
Chapter 5: Financial Planning for Senior Decline 77
Chapter 6: Elder Proofi ng to Reduce Preventable Crises 111
Chapter 7: Navigating the Health-Care Maze and Advocating for Mom 127
Chapter 8: Choosing the Right Type of Living Arrangements 149
Chapter 9: Finding the Best Retirement Residence with Mom 173
Chapter 10: Finding a Good Nursing Home for Mom 185
Chapter 11: Dealing with Dementia 205
Chapter 12: The Last Life of Doris 233
Appendix: Caregivers’ Palliative-Care Guide 249
Index 253