Your parents are
growing older and
are getting
forgetful, starting
to slow down, or
worse. Suddenly you
find yourself at the
cusp of one of the
most important
transitions in your
life—and the life of
your family. Your
parents need you and
your siblings to
step up and take
care of them, a
little or a lot. To
make the right
things happen, you
will all need to
work together. And
yet your siblings
may have very
different ideas from
yours of what’s best
for Mom and Dad.
They may be
completely
uninterested in
helping, leaving you
with all the
responsibility. Or
they may take charge
and not allow you to
help, or criticize
whatever help you do
give. Will you and
your siblings be
able to reach an
understanding and
work together, or
will the challenges
you face tear you
apart?
Most of us enter
this period of our
lives unprepared for
the difficult
decisions and
delicate
negotiations that
lie ahead. This is
the first book that
provides guidance on
the transition from
the “old” family to
the “new” one,
especially for adult
siblings. Here
you’ll find
practical advice on
a wide range of
topics including:
-
Who will make major medical decisions, manage finances, and enforce end-of-life choices if your parents cannot? And how will this be decided and carried out?
-
How will you negotiate caregiving issues and deal with unequal contributions or power struggles?
-
How can inheritance and the division of property, assets, and personal effects be handled to minimize hurt feelings and resentment?
-
How will you cope with the natural reemergence of unresolved childhood rivalries, hurts, and needs?
-
How can caring for your parents be an enriching experience rather than a thankless chore?
-
Most important, how can you ensure the best care for your parents while lessening conflict, guilt, anger, and angst?
Written by a veteran
journalist who
chronicles life and
how baby boomers
live it, They’re
Your Parents, Too!
offers all the
information,
insight, and advice
you’ll need to make
productive choices
as you and your
siblings begin to
assume your parents’
place as the
decision-making
generation of your
family.
Filled with expert
guidance from
gerontologists,
family therapists,
elder-care
attorneys, financial
planners, and health
workers; resonant
real-life stories;
and helpful family
negotiation
techniques, this is
an indispensable
book for anyone
whose parents are
aging.