No Ordinary Move: Relocating Your Aging Parents [Paperback]

Barbara Perman (Author), James Ballard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 16, 2009

Of 78 million Baby Boomers, one turns 50 every seven seconds. 70% of people over 75 still own their own home. Taken together, these facts spell perplexity for millions of adult children. Increasing numbers of Boomers, themselves aging, with over busy work lives and college-age children, must interrupt their schedules to move their aging parents out of households they can no longer manage. For most, the solution might seem simple: put Mom in a home, her stuff in a dumpster, and get back to the treadmill. Relocating Your Aging Parents, a book that helps readers slow down and reconsider this situation, not as a grim crisis but as a rare opportunity. It's the story of Sandy, whose 50-yard dash of a life is further complicated by the realization that her parents can't remain in the home in which she and her brothers grew up. Her father's resistance, her mother's growth in self-assertion, and her brother's transformation from resentment to active participation in the move highlight the triumphs and breakdowns along the way to the final, healing move. The heart-changing secrets to be learned from such an experience, balanced with the shortcuts and facilitative strategies that make it "no ordinary move", are provided by a character called Moving Mentor, a sort of Yoda of Moving. Her working with the family to manage the mutual influence of inter-generational values, together with excerpts from her website and journal, show readers a way to make participation in their parents' move a turning-point, a chance to renew and reunite. The second part of the book, For Adult Children Only; 101 Ways to Get Your Parents Moving, features lists of hands-on tasks, each with its rationale, arranged under the eight stages of a healthy move.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Barbara Z. Perman, Ph.D., is founder and President of Moving Mentor, Inc., a company that provides moving management consulting and organizing services. Dr. Perman specializes in helping seniors and families through the arduous tasks related to downsizing and relocating. As educator, speaker, coach, family consultant, professional organizer and author, she has written and developed books and products that support the moving process from beginning to end. Barbara holds a Masters degree from Oxford University and a Doctorate in Psychology from Edinburgh University in Scotland. Jim Ballard is an established author of a number of books about managing change and transforming the people side of business. In addition to his own titles published by Random House, John Wiley and Beyond Words, Ballard has co-authored a number of books with best-selling author Ken Blanchard, published by Simon & Schuster, McGraw-Hill, Jossey-Bass and Harper-Collins. Both authors are experienced keynote speakers, and both design and facilitate seminars and workshops. Barbara's company Moving Mentor, Inc. is well-known for its dedication to helping relocate seniors. She maintains an active website and is in demand as a presenter to many different groups including realtors, estate attorneys, marketing directors of retirement communities, and councils on aging.

Product Details

• Paperback: 164 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse; 1st edition (December 16, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1425972241
• ISBN-13: 978-1425972240
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #709,840 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Barbara Z. Perman, Ph.D., is founder and President of Moving Mentor, Inc., a company that provides moving management consulting and organizing services. Dr. Perman specializes in helping seniors and families through the arduous tasks related to downsizing and relocating. As educator, speaker, coach, family consultant, professional organizer and author, she has written and developed books and products that support the moving process from beginning to end. Barbara holds a BA degree from The University of Pennsylvania, a Masters degree from Oxford University and a Doctorate in Psychology from Edinburgh University in Scotland.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful & hopeful, December 3, 2009

By 

Carol P. Pilis "adult child" (New England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: No Ordinary Move: Relocating Your Aging Parents (Paperback)

This easy to read book helped me to understand my feelings and how to approach the very scary subject of helping to down size. It gave me insight as to how my mother-in-law is thinking about her home and possessions and how to approach the "it's time to think about moving" talk.
How to start to prepare myself & my attitude and how to say things that open conversations and not slam doors were all here and all very helpful. I have recommended it to a friend. I even wrote about it on my Facebook page. Relocating parents is very tough but I don't feel so alone on this journey now.

5.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable Help for Every Boomer with Aging Parents, October 28, 2009

By 

J. Pearl "Ravenous Reader" (Amherst, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: No Ordinary Move: Relocating Your Aging Parents (Paperback)

"No Ordinary Move" points out that the sooner boomers help aging parents consider their future living options, the more and better choices they will have. I very much related to the a parable of a fairly typical family working through their dynamics and conflicts, which were brought into sharp relief as tensions mount between the three siblings as their parents' needs -- and denial -- increase. Best of all, the authors walk readers through the practical issues, physical challenges and emotional trigger points, and offer a plethora of resourceful solutions. I plan to purchase multiple copies, to give as holiday gifts for many boomer friends and cousins who are confronting the issues "No Ordinary Move" addresses with such compassion and wisdom.