We have found that Care Managers can be exceptionally helpful when a sudden need to become an expert on helping aging parents is thrust upon family members. Yet many of the older adults and their families with whom we talk are unaware that this profession even exists. As part of our series on “getting expert help”, we asked Kira Reginato to write this article about what Care Managers do, why you might want one, and how to find a good one.
Most older adults we talk to would like to “stay independent” for as long as possible. And when we probe what that really means, it usually is about maintaining some level of autonomy and control over one’s destiny as long as possible. Whether it’s how we are cared for after a medical emergency, … Read more
Advance Healthcare Directives are a critical part of planning for end of life. In this article we dig into exactly what they are, how you use them, how you get help understanding them, as well as what we have learned about online resources and Apps for completing an Advance Directive Form. This is the second part … Read more
POLST forms (also called MOLST, MOST, POST or TPOPP in various different states) are “Physician Orders” that help determine how clincians treat a person in various end-of-life type situations. Specifically, POLST stands for “Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment”. In this article we dig into exactly what these Physician Orders are, how you use them, and how … Read more
End of Life Planning was the exploration of the month at several 2019 Longevity Explorer circles. If you are thinking some end of life planning might be timely, either for you or for a family member, and are unsure what you need to worry about, read this. And if you are not too sure what end … Read more
Wondering what a Professional Fiduciary is, when you might need one, and how you would find a good one? We asked professional fiduciary Kim Schwarcz to explain.
As our healthcare system becomes more complex and hard to navigate, a new profession has emerged: patient advocacy. Patient advocates are people who work to help patients navigate the healthcare system, and can in principle help save money, and help make sure one gets the best possible treatment when ill. In this article, we asked one of this new breed, Patricia Knight, to help our readers understand better: what is a patient advocate, what do they do, and do you need one?
Dignity of the elder must not be disregarded in the name of protection: whether we are dealing with the difficult issues of how to convince dad to give up the car keys, mom’s need for placement in a facility, or fear of money being improperly acquired by a scammer. The question posed is how to maximize the preservation of dignity in the face of true need for protection of the elder? This article addresses the issue as it relates to financial abuse of elders, but the principles are equally applicable in other situations.
In a previous article I did a little research to find the 10 “best selling” books on the topic of Aging Parents (on Amazon). I have now waded through them all, and in this article I summarize my impressions of the different books, in the hope that you can leverage my work so you need only focus on the ones that seem most useful for you.
Over the last 18 months I have talked with literally hundreds of people who have realized they now have an extra “job” that they were not expecting: engaging one way or another in looking out for an aging parent. Many of them wanted a “guide” to Caring for Aging Parents, and asked for recommendations. Sure enough, there are a number of books on aging parents on Amazon. I decided I wanted to find the most popular, and then read them and see whether I could identify a handful of them to recommend next time someone asks for a Guide to Aging Parents. This article is the first installment in my journey and focuses on which are the top selling books in this category (presumably the ones others have found most relevant).