A compendium of family scenarios for those dealing with the guilt, worry, and difficult decisions that come with eldercare.
- Is it time for your aging father to stop driving?
- How can you balance your career opportunities with your mother’s care needs?
- Can your parents cope on their own?
- Is it time for long-term care? Given their reluctance, is that even an option?
Millions of people are dealing with aging parents and are stunned by the complexities and demands of their care. As demographics change and societies adapt, that caring — that parenting — isn’t getting any simpler. In the fourth edition of this eldercare classic, advocate Bart J. Mindszenthy and geriatrician Dr. Michael Gordon present twenty-four case studies of families working through the eldercare puzzle. With new scenarios, such as legalized marijuana and medical assistance in dying, this revised and updated edition makes the case for good planning, family unity, and being aware of your loved ones’ health.
With the help of Gordon and Mindszenthy’s expert advice, care providers are able to shed guilt and worry and become confident that they have done all they can to make their parents’ latter years as fulfilling and comfortable as possible.
Innehållsförteckning
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
Om författaren
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.