Dealing with Aging Parents and Elderly Family Members: 52 Things YOU Should Know

HELP FOR ADULT CHILDREN WITH AGING PARENTS

Today's Boomer generation faces a huge squeeze between caring for themselves, their children, and now their aging parents and elderly family members. Many of what is now called the "sandwich generation" are totally unprepared for the sudden onslaught of questions, problems, and situations that occur. For most it's a massive dilemma.

Many are faced, like I was, with elderly parents who are aging but aren't quite at the point where they need live-in care or require an assisted-living home but they do need help. Too often boomers discover the help needed is way more than they thought and too late the generation of adult children learn their aging parents don't want to admit they need the help. What to do?

This is why I wrote DEALING WITH AGING PARENTS AND ELDERLY FAMILY MEMBERS: 52 Things YOU Should Know. Before you know it, you're dealing with issues and situations you never thought you'd face. I've offered a variety of ideas and suggestions, many coming from my own expereinces, that help alert family members to the emerging needs oft their elderly family member. My hope is that this information can help in the transition that both generations, adult children and elderly parents, enter into.

FACING THE MANY LIFE CHALLENGES PRESENTED WHEN HELPING OR CARING FOR ELDERLY PARENTS

I know I was not prepared for the changes that occurred when my parents age caught up with them. Neither were they. For the last fifteen years, I've had to learn, manage, and cope with a multitude of problems from helping put the trash out to changing a light bulb for parents who could no longer do those chores to assisting them with medical issues, doctor appointments, and needed legal elder care preparations. There are 52 ways to help. If you start now and focus on one way a week, you'll have a year of help at your disposal.

Here are some of the ways this book will help someone who is suddenly faced with coping with an elderly parent or aging family member.

Vikk Simmons knows what it's like to take on the daunting task of caring for aging parents. She spent fifteen years caring for both her mother and father during the last phases of their life from the simple tasks of changing a light bulb to the more difficult end-of-life tasks with in-home hospice. She now hopes to share what she's learned with others in hopes of helping them through these critical stages for both them and their parents and family members.

Simmons is also a certified Journal to the Self Instructor through the Center for Journal Therapy with Kay Adams and is working toward a Journal Facilitator Certification through the Therapeutic Writing Institute. Look for more books that will focus on aging parents and family caregivers. Discover more at TheReluctantCaregiver.com and visit The Reluctant Caregiver Facebook page.

If you think you'll be facing this potential situation with your parents or maybe already are, check out DEALING WITH AGING PARENTS & ELDERLY FAMILY MEMBERS: 52 Things YOU Should Know now so you can become better prepared for what's ahead.