How to Care for Aging Parents, 3rd Edition A One-Stop Resource for All Your Medical, Financial, Housing, and Emotional Issues

by Morris, Virginia

• ISBN13: 9780761166764
• ISBN10: 0761166769
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2014-02-11
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company

Summary

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

Author Biography

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 30 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. It has sold more than 500,000 copies and has been translated into a number of languages. AARP calls it “indispensable." ABC World News declared it the “the bible for caregivers.” And the Wall Street Journal touted it as “the best guide." The third edition was published in 2014. She is also the author of Talking About Death, which came out in 2001. Virginia has been featured on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, The CBS Morning Show, Primetime, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, NPR, CNN, and a host of other national media. She testified before Congress at the invitation of Sen. Amy Klobuchar. She now serves as adjunct instructor at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine, is a member of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock ethics committee, is getting a master’s degree in bioethics at Harvard, and gives talks around the country on aging, caregiving and end-of-life decisions. 
 

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