How to care for aging parents : a complete guide / Virginia Morris; foreword by Robert N. Butler.

Includes index.

Contents
FOREWORD
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1:
GET READY, GET SET
-Talking to Your Parents about Tough Issues
-Gathering Essential Documents
-Organizing Your Own Life
-Caring from Afar
CHAPTER 2:
YOUR PARENT AND YOU
-Adapting to New Roles
-Knowing When to Intervene
-Resolving Old Struggles
-Managing Day-to-Day
CHAPTER 3:
CARING FOR THE CAREGIVER
-Setting Limits
-Emotional Minefields; Guilt, Anger and Depression
-Support Groups
-Gaining a Healthy Mindset: Friends, Laughter and Tranquility
CHAPTER 4:
DOCTOR DO'S AND DON'TS
-Rx for the Elderly
-A Geriatric Assessment
-Finding a Good Doctor
-Being an Informed Advocate
CHAPTER 5:
THE BODY IMPERFECT: Part 1
-Vision and Hearing
-Insomnia
-Overmedication
-Alcohol
-Temperature Regulation
-Dehydration
-TLC for Skin, Legs and Feet
CHAPTER 6:
THE BODY IMPERFECT: Part 2
-Osteoporosis and Arthritis
-Incontinence
-Digestive Disorders
-Depression
-Delirium
-Anxiety
CHAPTER 7:
ON THE FIFTH FLOOR
-Entering the Hospital
-Questions about Tests, Treatments and Surgery
-Dealing with Hospital Staff
-Your Role as Advocate
-Preparing for Discharge
CHAPTER 8:
TIPS FOR DAILY LIVING
-Steps to a Safer Home
-Bathing and Dressing
-Eating Right
-Setting Up the Bedroom
-A Question of Driving
-The Importance of Exercise
-Quality of Life
CHAPTER 9:
GETTING HELP:
Community and Home-Care Services
-What's available and How To Find It
-Companions
-Meal Programs
-Transportation
-Senior Centers
-Adult Day Care
-Home Health Aides and Nurses
-Geriatric Care Managers
-Hiring and Overseeing Workers
-Respite Care
CHAPTER 10:
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
-When it's time to move
-Should Dad Move in?
-Shared Housing
-Senior Apartments
-Assisted-Living Homes
-Continuing Care Retirement Communities
CHAPTER 11:
A GOOD NURSING HOME
-Making the Decision
-What to Look For in a Nursing Home
-Getting In
-A Plan Of Care
-Moving Day and Beyond
-Your Role as Visitor and Advocate
-Getting Adjusted
CHAPTER 12:
THE INNER CIRCLE
-Sharing the Care with Siblings
-A Family Meeting
-Spouses
-The Sandwich Generations: Aging Parents and Young Children
-Balancing Career and Caregiving
CHAPTER 13:
PAYING THE WAY
-Talking About Money
-What Medicare and Medicaid Really Cover
-Medigap and Long-Term Care Insurance
-Financial Planning
-Homes as Collateral
-Tax Tips
-Hiring Financial and Legal Counsel
CHAPTER 14:
THE LEGAL ISSUES
-Wills
-Power of Attorney
-Advanced Directives
-Guardianship
-Estate Planning
-Probate
-Dividing the Estate
CHAPTER 15:
THE AGING BRAIN
-What is Normal?
-Dementia
-Getting Tested
-Alzheimer's Disease: What to Expect
-Mini-Strokes
-Treating Dementia
-Planning for the Future
CHAPTER 16:
LIVING WITH DEMENTIA
-Helping Yourself: A Clear Perspective and a Little Humor
-Helping Your Parent: Simplicity, Routines and Diversions
-Tips for Eating, Dressing, Communicating and More
-Coping with Special Problems
CHAPTER 17:
IN THE END
-Broaching the Subject of Death
-Caring for Your Parent in the Hospital
-Choosing Hospice Care
-Medical Treatment: When Enough Is Enough
-Making Advance Directives Stick
-Saying Good-bye
-The Face of Death
CHAPTER 18: CODA
GOOD GRIEF
-The Necessity of Mourning
-The Surviving Parent
-Growing From Grief