Stages of Senior Care: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Making the Best Decisions [Paperback]

Paul Hogan (Author), Lori Hogan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 13, 2009

A USA Today BESTSELLER!

"Informative. Complete. And practical. This book will guide family caregivers through the surprisingly complex world of senior care."
—MEHMET OZ, M.D., New York Times bestselling coauthor of YOU: The Owner's Manual: The Complete All-in-One Care Guide

Choosing the best care for your aging parents and other seniors in your life is not only complex, with multiple options available, it's also highly personal and often emotional. This essential resource—written by the founders of Home Instead Senior Care, the world's largest provider of nonmedical care for seniors—guides you through a comprehensive range of things to consider, step by step, so you can make better informed decisions and be confident that the senior in your life is receiving the best care possible. Checklists and diagnostics will help you:

• Decide if at-home care is the right choice for you and your loved ones
• Evaluate the pros and cons of retirement communities, adult care centers, nonmedical caregivers, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and hospice
• Determine the costs of senior care options and find helpful support networks

"This is not just another book about caring for aging parents. It's a great reference you'll use again and again. Stages doesn't shy away from the hard questions. Rather, it shows you how to confront them."—SUZANNE MINTZ, President/CEO, National Family Caregivers Association

"Recognizing that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, this salient volume compassionately addresses a full range of hard-to-discuss subjects."--PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

All of the authors' profits from the sale of this book will be donated to the Home Instead Senior Care Foundation.

Paul and Lori Hogan founded Home Instead Senior Care in 1994. Now with 850 offices in 15 countries, Home Instead is recognized as a global leader and authority on senior care. Visit them at www.stagesofseniorcare.com.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. 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.

Review

STARRED review from Publishers Weekly

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. (Nov.)

(Publisher's Weekly 20091013)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (October 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071621091
• ISBN-13: 978-0071621090
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #34,443 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #14 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Aging Parents
  • #34 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Family Relationships > Parent & Adult Child
  • #55 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Reference

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Possibly the best gift you could give a caregiver December 18, 2009

By David Weigelt

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Let me start by saying that, in full disclosure, I have the privilege of working with Paul and Lori's company by providing marketing services (including the marketing of this book). Whereas it might not normally be appropriate (or credible) for me to post a review of a client's book, my personal experience has moved me to a point that I would feel guilty if I didn't share.

On December 3, 2009, I attended one of Paul's book signings in Fairfax, Virginia. The night before the event I stayed up late rereading the book in preparation for what was to be a large event with several hundred caregivers from the Washington, DC area. The event itself was a typical book signing with Paul doing a great job of personally reaching out to as many of the attendees as time would allow.

Over the course of a couple hours, my job was to video tape as many testimonials as I could from the various caregivers, social workers and other health and aging-related professionals. By the end of the day, I was overwhelmed by the stories of sacrifice (which I consistently hear from caregivers) and how sorely a resource like Stages of Senior Care is needed.

On my drive home I began to feel guilty that I had never shared Stages, or any of Home Instead's caregiver resources, with my own family. You see, my wife's grandparents are 94-years old and had moved home from Florida about three years ago to be closer to family. They were in relative good health when they moved back and made the choice to stay independent by moving into a senior apartment complex.

Over the past couple of years, their health has deteriorated in what seem to be pits and falls (literally). With each of these instances, I watched them grow increasingly dependent on my wife's parents for their care. All the same, my in-laws aren't the type to complain, so we kids (I'm 40) rarely considered the awesome responsibility that had taken over a good part of their lives.

Last week, knowing that my grandfather's health was starting to take a turn for the worse, I ordered a copy of Stages to be sent to my in-laws' house the following Saturday. I have to tell you that I was nervous. I have done very little to help in the care of my grandparents, yet I was sending my in-laws what is essentially a "how to" book on taking care of their parents. I thought about this over the weekend, hoping they wouldn't be offended or think that my gift was an indication that I felt they weren't doing a good job.

Monday morning, on my drive to work, I received a call from my mother-in-law. She sounded different. My normally upbeat mother-in-law was obviously shaken. She started by telling me that my grandfather's cancer had metastasized. This was a tough moment. It was that first instance where you realize the end is near for someone you really love. As I was trying to hold it together for my mom, she went on to thank me for sending the book. I'll never forget the tone of her voice; it went from sounding like she was on the verge of tears to a deep and inner peace. She explained that the book had arrived Saturday morning just after they received news of my grandfather's health and that it was time to bring in hospice. She explained how she opened the book and went straight to the chapter on hospice. She said she read the chapter a couple of times and, even though she had been through this before, it answered many of her questions and prepared her for their initial meeting with hospice later that day.

Finally, she told me how happy she was that she had gotten to spend so much time with her in-laws over the past three years, and how their love for each other and their faith in God has brought her peace. Ironically, I don't think she had gotten to read the afterward of Stages yet but, for anyone considering reading this book, I recommend starting at the back. Paul and Lori's dedication to changing the face of aging is rooted in their faith which they share as the cornerstone recommendation for any family caregiver.

I hope you buy this book. Paul and Lori don't make a dime off the sale of Stages, all of the proceeds go to their non-profit foundation. More importantly, I want you to know that it's not insulting to share this book with a someone who is blessed with the awesome responsibility of caring for others. It might be the most loving thing you can do.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ !!!! October 23, 2009

By F. H. GROSSMAN

Format:Paperback

This is a must read for anyone going through the aging process or taking care of someone that is. A complete and comprehensive resource with tons of expert contributors and links.... buy one and read it today. Have it ready for friends and other family members.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent basic guide for caregivers March 1, 2010

By Kay Paggi

Format:Paperback

This book will be helpful to those providing care to older adults across a wide spectrum of needs. It is a basic caregiving guide that could ease the burden of care for many years and in many differing care situations. The authors had previously developed a concept called the `40-70 Rule' a guide to how to start the conversation about future care needs. This guide is available free online at [...]. After initial introductory chapters, the book begins with a chapter set at the beginning of the caregiving journey with the care receiver living independently in the community. There are suggestions about how to make the environment safer and guidelines about the costs of these safety measures, and a discussion about the pros and cons of remaining in one's home. At the end of the chapter there are valuable online resources.

The book follows this format of discussion of issues, pros and cons, cost, and resources for caregiving scenarios as they become progressively more challenging from assisted living to the end of life. The Hogans' are the founders and owners of the home care agency Home Instead. I expected the book to be biased in favor of remaining at home with in-home assistance. I was wrong. The book fairly presents the problems and expenses involved in staying in one's home alongside other options and their problems and costs, with discussions of the advantages and disadvantages of each possibility. The resources at the end of chapters are thoroughly researched.

The book continues with discussions of funeral options and expenses that may be especially valuable for families of modest means or with family members living far from the care receiver. There are chapters on financing care, complicating issues, and an excellent chapter on taking care of the caregiver.

I highly recommend this book, and will include it as a resource for everyone in my Eldercare/ Caregiver classes.
Kay Paggi, LPC, NCGC, Certified Care Manager