Kathy Quan - The Everything Guide to Caring for Aging Parents: Reassuring advice to help you support your loved ones

THE
EVERYTHING
GUIDE TO CARING
FOR AGING PAR ENTS

Dear Reader,
doubt facing a major change in book, you are no up this in the near future. If Getting youve picked very real possibility we will have your life or anticipating the old, life. We all hope, by the time we get old is a fact of accomplished our goals, realized at least one of our dreams, and still have a little money left to live on. We hope we will have good health, not too much pain, and be able to remain independent. Hopefully, we will still have family and friends who like us and are willing to come around to visit and help us out occasionally.

We certainly dont want to be a burden to anyone. We hope we can manage our own care and that if we need a little help, we hope we still have a little something to offer in exchange or maybe along the way we have paid it forward enough that we arent asking for too much now. We hope well have our wits about us and not be plagued with Alzheimers or at least be blessed enough to not know.

For now though, we have the new responsibility to learn to help and care for our aging parents. Well be changing roles and making decisions for them as well as our children. For thirty years, I have worked in home health care and helped families navigate this path, and now I, too, must take this journey with my mother. I hope youll join us and learn to help your own family. Welcome to the sandwich generation!

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THE
EVERYTHING
Guide to Caring for
Aging Parents

Reassuring advice to help you
support your loved ones
Kathy Quan, RN, BSN, PHN

To my parents and in-laws,
who have taught me how to deal with this process.

To the loves of my life:
my husband Tim, and my children Amy, Rob, and Becky!

And to all of my former patients and coworkers
who taught me everything I know about home care.

Copyright 2009 by F+W Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced
in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions
are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

An Everything Series Book.
Everything and everything.com are registered trademarks of F+W Media, Inc.

Published by Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.
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ISBN 10: 1-59869-648-3
ISBN 13: 978-1-59869-648-6
ISBN: 978-1-60550-749-1

Printed in the United States of America.

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Contents

Appendix A:
Glossary

Appendix B
Additional Resources

Appendix C
Forms and Tips to Help Organize Care

A cknowledgments

First and foremost, I want to thank my family, my husband Tim, and my children Amy, Rob, and Becky for their unconditional love, devotion, and help throughout the writing of this book. To my mother, who has always been my biggest fan and most honest critic. My parents and my in-laws have taught me a lot about how to deal with aging parents. I hope that I have and will continue to make a difference for all of them. To the girls, who know who they are. The best friends ever! You have always encouraged me to follow my dreams. You have been there for me and continue to offer support and love. You know this has meant reaching well beyond my comfort zone! Thank you so much.

Thanks, too, to the rest of my family and friends who have encouraged me and supported me in this effort in many ways. You all inspire me always. I must acknowledge all of the many home health-care patients and coworkers I have enjoyed knowing over the past thirty years. You have all taught me how to help others learn to cope and survive this process.

To Barbara Doyen, my agent, who has always helped me all along the way even through emergencies and craziness! Thanks to my editors for all of your patience and help with this book. Thanks so very much to all of you!

Top Ten Things You Need to Know aboutCaring for Your Aging Parents

You are not alone; the Sandwich Generation is growing.