Stages of Senior Care

Starred review from November 2, 2009
Using their experience running a successful international company providing in-home, non-medical services for seniors, husband-and-wife founders of Home Instead Senior Care offer a helpful guide for families choosing among home care-giving and other assisted-living options for aging or ailing parents. The Hogans believe in helping seniors stay in their homes as long as possible, and knowledge is their most powerful tool in securing that goal; this well-researched volume is packed with information, advice and resources aimed at managing and ameliorating the sadness, confusion, guilt and anxiety of making quality-of-life decisions for a loved one. Emphasizing the need for planning, the Hogans offer a list of signs that indicate it's time to consider additional care, as well as a thorough exploration of the options, including pros and cons, questions to ask and other factors when choosing among home care, senior centers, assisted living and nursing homes. The Hogans also consider options for children who live far away from their parents, and advice on what to do when siblings find themselves in disagreement. Recognizing that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, this salient volume compassionately addresses a full range of hard-to-discuss subjects, including funeral services and bereavement.

January 15, 2010
As the baby boomers hit retirement age, these volumes can provide valuable information to them and their families. The Hogans (founders, Home Instead Senior Care) demonstrate that options for senior care have proliferated but require careful planning, evaluation, and financial resources. They provide advice for adult children on how to initiate conversations about changes in abilities and living arrangements and stress the importance of planning early, before a crisis situation arises. Also explained are the advantages and limitations of various types of living accommodations, such as adaptations of independent living spaces, independent-living communities, assisted-living facilities, senior and day centers, nursing homes, and care at home.

The Fitzpatrick physician-and-lawyer team have seen the hazards experienced by those caught in the health-care system's imperative to save life at any cost. Case studies are used to highlight court challenges to the right to die and offer evidence that advance directives can be ignored. One's right to a natural death through withholding therapies and basic services, especially in nursing homes, is described. Also outlined is the authors' five-step "compassion protocol" to help individuals know their options and make, communicate, and legally formalize personal decisions. VERDICT Both volumes are easy reads packed with solid information. While "Stages of Senior Care" outlines the myriad choices available, it does not place enough stress on the senior's rights to choose. "A Better Way of Dying", however, is outstanding.Janet M. Schneider, James A. Haley Veterans Hosp., Tampa

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