Parenting Your Parents : Support Strategies for Meeting the Challenge of Aging in the Family

by Mindszenthy, Bart J.; Gordon, Michael

• ISBN13: 9781550023800
• ISBN10: 1550023802
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-05-01
• Publisher: Dundurn Pr Ltd

Summary

When our parents reach a certain age and are unable to cope the way they did when they were younger, we find ourselves wondering how to provide them with the kind of love, care, support, affection, and attention they need. With reflections and advice from one of Canada's pre-eminent geriatric physicians, as well as a personal planner, Parenting Your Parents is a valuable resource for anyone facing this special family crises.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	9	(2)
Foreword	11	(2)
Sandie Rinaldo
Preface: Parenting Your Parents --- Stepping Into the Unknown	13	(10)
Introduction: The Rocky Road of Responsibility	23	(6)
Fifteen Family Stories
Control: Laying on the Guilt Trip	29	(7)
Surgery: Weighing the Odds	36	(7)
Independence: Helping Parents Live Their Lives	43	(8)
Breaking the Mold: The Rebellious Grandmother	51	(6)
Culture Clash: Pitting Values against Needs	57	(8)
Substance Abuse: Drinking All Day Keeps Reality Away	65	(7)
Siblings: In Charge and On the Attack	72	(7)
The Stroke: Sudden Challenges and Changes	79	(6)
Dementia and Depression: Reading the Signs	85	(8)
Advancing Dementia: When Life Gets More Difficult	93	(8)
We're On Own: How to Plan for the Future	101	(7)
Finding a New Life: Corrections and Concerns	108	(7)
Decision Time: Planning for the Inevitable	115	(6)
End of Life: Caring and Sharing	121	(7)
Moving On: Living Life without a Loved One	128	(7)
Our Own Experiences
Roz and Max	135	(21)
Michael Gordon
Update: A Week of Trauma Turns Our Lives Upside Down	156	(31)
Bart Mindszenthy
Personal Parenting Planner	187	(38)
Resource Directory	225