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
"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 at Yale- New Haven Hospital
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
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.
"
Synopsis
The book that answers all the questions you hoped you'd never have to ask.
Hailed as "an excellent resource" by the Family Caregiver Alliance, How to Care for Aging Parents is an indispensable source of information and support.
Now completely revised and updated, this compassionate, comprehensive caregiver's bible tackles all the touch subjects, from how to avoid becoming your parent's "parent," to understanding what happens to the body in old age, to getting help finding, and paying for, a nursing home.
When love is not enough--and regrettably, it never is--this is the essential guide.
Help for every difficult issue:
- Knowing when to intervene
- Coping with dementia
- Caring for the caregiver
- The question of driving
- Paying for long-term care
- Sharing the care with siblings
- Caregiving from a distance
- Home care vs. a nursing home
- The hospice option
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
An award-winning journalist, Virginia Morris has devoted her career to researching and writing about health care, medical research and related social and political issues for the last 25 years. She is the author of How to Care for Aging Parents, which won the Books for a Better Life Award and instantly became the best-selling book on the subject when it was first released in 1996. The most recent updated and expanded edition was published in 2014. She is also the author of Talking About Death, which came out in paperback in 2004. Virginia has been featured on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, The CBS Morning Show, Primetime, NPR, CNN, and a host of other national media. She also appeared before Congress, testifying before the bicameral Joint Economic Committee in 2007. She now lectures around the country on both subjects. She lives with her husband and two children in the New York area.
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