Synopses & Reviews
"The bible of eldercare"--ABC World News. "An indispensable book"--AARP. "A compassionate guide of encyclopedic proportion"--
The Washington Post. And, winner of a Books for a Better Life Award.
How to Care for Aging Parents is the best and bestselling book of its kind, and its author, Virginia Morris, is the go-to person on eldercare for the media, appearing on
Oprah,
TODAY, and
Good Morning America, among many other outlets.
How to Care for Aging Parents is an authoritative, clear, and comforting source of advice and support for the ever-growing number of Americans--now 42 million--who care for an elderly parent, relative, or friend. And now, in its third edition, it is completely overhauled and updated, chapter-by-chapter and page-by-page, with the most recent medical findings and recommendations. It includes a whole new chapter on fraud; details on the latest "aging in place" technologies; more helpful online resources; and everything you need to know about current laws and regulations. Also new are fill-in worksheets for gathering specifics on medications; caregivers' names, schedules, and contact info; doctors' phone numbers and addresses; and other essential information in one handy place at the back of the book.
From having that first difficult conversation to arranging a funeral and dealing with grief--and all of the other important issues in between--How to Care for Aging Parents is the essential guide.
Review
"A work of great value, written with sensitivity and wisdom...It fulfills an obvious need better than anything I've seen."
—Sherwin B. Nuland, M.D.
Review
"A compassionate guide of encyclopedic proportion."
--The Washington Post
Review
Review
"An excellent guide for dealing with the financial, legal, medical, and psychological issues facing women and men as they care for their aging parents...An invaluable resource [that] offers an up-to-date guide to hard-to-find services and subsidies."
--Robert N. Butler, M.D., Founder, National Institute on Aging
Review
"This guide, aimed at the "Sandwich Generation," provides a road map to assist adult children in caring for their aging parents. Combining personal experience with expertise in healthcare and social and political issues, Morris has produced a thoroughly researched, well-organized, and comprehensive manual. Chapters follow in logical progression, yet they can stand alone and be read on an "as-needed" basis. The topics covered include the concrete, practical areas such as home care, finances, nursing homes/hospitals, legal issues, and medical/safety concerns as well as the psychosocial areas of handling emotions, dealing with death and dying, sibling conflicts, and spiritual needs. In her discussions, Morris adds useful details such as a suggested list of things to pack for the hospital. Support for the caregiver as well as to the elderly person is covered. Sprinkled throughout the text are agencies, phone numbers, and other reference information."
Review
Review
"A must-read ... [Morris] thoroughly addresses the subject, covering most topics imaginable from standards such as exercise and healthy diet to uncomfortable ones such as STDs, Alzheimer's, and delusions and hallucinations.... Her frank approach manages to be both compassionate and direct making the most awkward or devastating topics manageable."
--Publishers Weekly, starred review
Synopsis
Focusing on emotional, medical, financial, and legal issues, a health-care journalist who cared for her own father through a terminal illness turns a tough subject into a smart, compassionate, timely book for every person with aging parents.
Synopsis
How do you find a nursing home? And can you pay for it? Are you eligible for any financial help from the government? How do you find a good doctor? What is the power of attorney and when do you need it? How do you avoid becoming your parent's "parent"?
Virginia Morris, a health-care journalist who cared for her own father through a terminal illness, has taken a tough subject and turned it into a smart, compassionate, timely book for everyone with aging parents. It's all here-the emotional, medical, financial, and legal issues.
She covers what is normal in old age and what is not, and how to avoid "ageism"-the attitude (prevalent even among doctors) that infirmities of the elderly are just part of getting old. She shows how to redefine your relationship with your parent, leaven it with humor, and temper it with reduced expectations. How to make a parent's world easier to see, easier to hear, easier to get around in. How to cope with incontinence and other physical disorders. What to expect of a parent with dementia or Alzheimer's, and what to do about it. How to provide home care-everything from putting together an easy-to-dress wardrobe to installing grab bars and reflective tape. And how to get professional help, from cleaning services to meals-on-wheels to full-time skilled nursing. Winner, Books for a Better Life Award and a selection of the Rodale Book Club Featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, CNN, CBS and other national programs. Over 123,000 copies in print.
Synopsis
This is a tremendous work.truly excellent. It will be a great help to many people. Ronald Miller, M.D.
Medical Director, Geriatric Assessment Center
Yale-New Haven Hospital
"HOW TO CARE FOR AGING PARENTS is well-researched and comprehensive.a practical resource.that can be of enormous assistance to contemporary older persons as well as to Baby Boomers and the generations that follow."
From the Foreword by Robert N. Butler, M.D.
Founder, National Institute on Aging
Compassionate, timely, thorough, and thoroughly researched, HOW TO CARE FOR AGING PARENTS tackles all the tough subjects: from how to avoid becoming your parent's "parent," to understanding what happens to the body in old age, to getting help finding a nursing home - to preparing for the time to say good-bye. When love is not enough, it's an indispensable source of information and support. Includes a complete yellow pages of resource,
HELP FOR EVERY DIFFICULT DECISION
-FINDING GOOD MEDICAL CARE
-DEALING WITH GUILT
-HOME CARE VS. A NURSING HOME
-REDEFINING PARENT/CHILD ROLES
-KNOWING WHEN TO INTERVENE
-SIBLING CONFLICTS
-GETTING POWER OF ATTORNEY
-COPING WITH DEMENTIA
-CARE FOR THE CAREGIVER
-THE HOSPICE OPTION
-LOCATING COMMUNITY SERVICES
Synopsis
Featured on
Oprah and
Good Morning America, winner of the Books for a Better Life Award, and hailed as an "excellent resource" by the Family Caregiver Alliance,
How To Care For Aging Parents is completely revised, updated, and expanded, with nearly 300 pages of new material. Compassionate and thorough, it is a caregiver's bible.
When love is not enough—and, regrettably, it never is—this is an essential guide. Now more than ever.
About the Author
Virginia Morris lectures on the topic of aging parents around the country and has been featured on a host of national media. She testified about eldercare issues before the U.S. Joint Economic Committee and is also the author of Talking About Death. Ms. Morris lives with her husband and two children in Sag Harbor, New York.
Table of Contents
Get Ready, Get Set (1) Talking with Your Parent, Gathering Essential Documents, Researching the Options, Organizing Your Own Life, When You Can't Be There
Your Parent and You
Adapting to New Roles, Knowing When to Intervene, Defusing Old Struggles, Managing Day-to-Day, the Difficult Parent
Caring for the Caregiver
Setting Limits, The Male Caregiver, Emotional Minefields: Guilt, Anger, Grief, Depression, Support Groups, When One Parent is Well, 12 Steps to a Healthy Mind-Set
Healthy Aging
Pumping Iron: finding the Right Exercise Program, The ABCs of Diet, The Liquor Cabinet, Up in Smoke
Heart, Mind, and Soul (83)
Staying Involved, Family and Friends, Spirituality, Creativity, Volunteering, Expanding the Mind, Dating, Sex, and Marriage
Tips for Daily Living (102)
Safety First, Preventing Falls, Bathing and Dressing, Eating Right, The Question of Driving, Useful Gadgets and Gizmos
More Help, at Home (152)
Home Health Care, Nurses, Therapists, and Aides, The Hiring Process, Managing the Troops, Respite Care
The Inner Circle (169)
Sharing the Care with Siblings, A Family Meeting, Spouses, The Sandwich Generation: Aging Parents and Young Children, Balancing Career and Caregiving
Doctor Do's and Don'ts(193)
Rx for the Elderly, A Good Doctor, A Geriatric Checkup, Being an Informed Advocate, Complementary and Alternative Medicine
The Body Imperfect: Part I (214)
On the Lookout for Symptoms, Overseeing Medications, Vision and Hearing, Insomnia, Dehydration, TLC for Skin, Legs, and Feet, Dental Care
The Body Imperfect Part II (254)
Osteoporosis and Arthritis, Incontinence, Constipation, Other Digestive Disorders
Matters of the Mind (280)
Depression: Diagnosis and Treatments, Anxiety Disorders, Delirium
On the Fifth Floor (294)
Entering the Hospital, Tests, Surgery, and Treatments, Dealing with Staff, Your Role as Advocate, Comfort on the Fifth Floor, When You are Far Away, Preparing for Discharge, Bills
Paying the Way (322)
Talking about Money, Financial Planning and Budgets, Benefits and Discounts, Homes as Collateral, Tax Tips, Using Your Own Funds, Financial and Legal Counsel, Frauds and Scams
Paying for Healthcare (346)
What Medicare Really Covers, Prescription Drugs, Medigap Plans, Medicaid, Long-Term Care Insurance
Legal Issues (376)
Wills, Power of Attorney, Advance Directives, Trusts, Reducig Estate Taxes, Probate, Guardianship, Legal Help
Home Away from Home (402)
Is it Time to Move?, Sharing Your Home with Your