Bart J. Mindszenthy & Michael Gordon 
Parenting Your Parents [EPUB ebook] 
Straight Talk About Aging in the Family

Foreword by Dr. Paula Rochon

Introduction: The Case for the Cause — Caring for Aging Loved Ones Is a Major North American Social Issue and Challenge

Family Case Studies

• 1. Control: Laying on the Guilt Trip


• 2. Surgery: Weighing the Odds


• 3. Independence: Helping Parents Live Their Lives


• 4. Breaking the Mould: The Rebellious Grandmother


• 5. Tapping the Human Spirit: It Is Never Too Late to Create


• 6. Substance Abuse: Drinking All Day Keeps Reality Away


• 7. Sexuality, Romance, and the Family: When Children Worry About Their Parents


• 8. Culture Clash: Pitting Values Against Needs


• 9. The Conflicted Single Child: A Confusing Battle of Priorities


• 10. The Stroke: Sudden Challenges and Changes


• 11. Dementia and Depression: Reading the Signs


• 12. Advancing Dementia: When Life Gets More Difficult


• 13. Technology: Opening New Avenues of Care Management


• 14. Scams: Seniors Beware


• 15. Navigating the Health Care System: Knowing How to Get the Help You Need


• 16. We’re on Our Own: How to Plan for the Future


• 17. Decision Time: Planning for the Inevitable


• 18. When Love and the Law Conflict: Who’s Right, Who Has the Right?


• 19. End of Life: Caring and Sharing


• 20. Cannabis Concerns: Is Marijuana Only for the Young?


• 21. The New World of MAID: Moral and Personal Dilemma


• 22. The Difficulties of Decision-Making: Deciding What Treatments Make the Most Sense


• 23. Moving On: Living Life without a Loved One


• 24. Being Sandwiched: Parenting Your Parents and Your Children

Our Own Experiences

• A Time of Trauma Sets the Stage for Years of Hurt, Hope, and Endings by Bart Mindszenthy


• More than the Birds and the Bees: Having “the Conversation” with Your Parent by Dr. Michael Gordon


• Roz and Max by Dr. Michael Gordon


• Now It’s My Turn: When Parenting Your Parents Reaches the Next Cycle by Dr. Michael Gordon

Appendix: Vulnerability Index — How Are Your Parents Right Now?

About the Authors

Dr. Michael Gordon was Canada’s first Royal College Geriatrician and became VP of Medicine at Toronto’s Baycrest Geriatric Centre. He is a University of Toronto Emeritus Professor of Medicine and lives in Toronto.