Carol Levine - Navigating Your Later Years for Dummies

Navigating Your Later Years For Dummies

Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

Copyright 2018 by AARP. All rights reserved. AARP is a registered trademark.

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2018950670

ISBN 978-1-119-48158-4 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-48160-7 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-48162-1 (ebk)

If youve opened this book, then youre thinking about how best to navigate this next stage of life, whether for yourself or for a relative. (For simplicity, Ill refer to you.) Here, you find a road map to move forward, step by step.

Turn back, for a moment, to the cover of this book. What I want you to notice is the illustration: a person at the middle of a constellation of people, activities, and services. The icons suggest a full and satisfying life family, of course, as well as social connections, healthcare and healthy living, community involvement, and resources. The goal of this book is to help you put everything in place now for the best possible future, both for the person at the center and those who care about, and may care for, that person.

Because youve picked up or downloaded this book, you probably already know that you have questions. What you may not know is the broad scope of decisions, services, and choices that may arise. In my many years in the fields of health policy, aging, and family caregiving, I have seen that people often start with a specific question about topics such as buying long-term care insurance or choosing an independent- or assisted-living facility and soon find that they need to explore many other avenues as they pursue their goals of good health, independence, choice, and quality of life.

Times have changed, and there are many more options than there were decades ago, so keep an open mind. Learning about these options can be challenging, but finding the answers you need and creating a comprehensive and workable plan that fits your needs are well worth the effort. Like any other major decision in life, planning requires weighing risks and benefits, being flexible, and staying open to change. It can be unsettling. Some of your assumptions and preconceptions may be challenged. Even though I have many years of experience in this field, writing this book has given me new insights into the difficulties that individuals and families face in planning. I have new respect for their diligence and devotion.

I wrote this book to offer the broadest possible view as well as to provide information about specific topics. Youll find out about

• Modifications you can make to your home so you can stay independent and live at home as you age
• Downsizing your current home or planned move
• Options for housing such as independent and assisted living or specially created communities
• Multigenerational living
• Personal care and homemaker services
• Transportation and other community services
• Medical care, which may be primary care, preventive care, hospitalization, or rehabilitation services
• Financial issues and tips for managing money
• Advance directives so your wishes concerning healthcare are known
• Wills and estates

Throughout this book, I present you with a range of options to consider, always with the caveat that no one solution works for everyone. You may, for instance, need to make modest adjustments to your home, or you may need to move to an assisted-living community. I also include your family, partner, neighbors, and friends and the community in which you live as crucial factors in decision making. Remember too that the emotional aspects of a plan are often underestimated but can determine its success or failure.

Ive read and contributed to many books that tackle one subject at a time. They are valuable resources but dont cover the wide landscape. This book is a blend of what Ive learned from all these approaches, but it presents the big picture and then zeroes in on the practical, hands-on information that is often difficult to find in one place.