The Complete Eldercare Planner : Where to Start, Questions to Ask, and How to Find Help (Paperback)

by Joy Loverde (Author) "Most of us are inadequately prepared, emotionally and otherwise, to face the complex issue associated with caring for elderly loved ones..." (more)
Key Phrases: eldercare responsibilities, eldercare programs, elder advocacy, The Planner, Yellow Pages, Documents Locator (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
"The simple truth about elders is this: they want their lives to be validated, and they do not want to die alone," writes eldercare consultant Joy Loverde in her preface to the second edition of The Complete Eldercare Planner. While that desire is entirely valid and compelling, there is an equally real parallel reality: caring for elders is a formidable responsibility, a sometimes daunting maze of financial, medical, personal, legal, and logistical issues. Acutely aware of both truths, Loverde's goal is to provide the caregiver the support and efficient, practical guidance he or she needs to be able to enjoy the often-rewarding and moving experience of caring for an aging loved one. And in an era when the fastest growing segment of the population is those 80 and older (among those, the majority are women), it becomes increasingly important for caregivers, who are themselves one day going to need care, to be informed about eldercare facts.

With a clarity and authority that comes from years of consulting experience, Loverde shares techniques and step-by-step tactics for all aspects of eldercare, from how to first broach the topic with an elder that he or she needs care and finding the best insurance coverage to emergency preparedness and managing the process of dying. Thirteen chapters are organized by a series of plans that instruct and advise the caregiver on how to research, prepare for, and manage a particular issue. An "Action Checklist" and, when applicable, a list of low-cost or free resources punctuate each chapter's end. The chapters on legal matters (estate planning, insurance fraud), money (cost-cutting strategies), and insurance (options beyond Medicare, supplementary coverage, long-term policies) will be particularly helpful to those first grappling with their elder's financial position. While on occasion Loverde's recommendations may seem vague--in some cases there are too many variables for the author be more specific without sacrificing relevancy to all readers--The Complete Eldercare Planner is an accessible, comprehensive, and thoughtful resource that will inspire caregivers in their pursuit of quality health care for the aging. --Rebecca Wright --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Library Journal
As families age, more and more adult children will be caring for older parents. Often, caregiving responsibilities begin as a result of a sudden illness, hospitalization, or other crisis. Faced with a multitude of caregiving obligations, families seek information to help them make essential decisions about their relative's future. To guide families through the care-planning process, Loverde, an elder care consultant, has compiled a workbook covering such issues as finances, legal concerns, insurance, housing, medical care, and death and dying. Sections begin with a short list of objectives and action plans and end with an action checklist of tasks to accomplish, supplemented by a list of resource organizations. Relying heavily on bulleted lists and questions, the text is so sketchy that it reads like an outline of what a caregiving manual might be. Besides being overly paternalistic in tone, the book lacks a glossary and bibliography (web sites only are listed). In addition, its workbook format encourages patron write-ins, making almost any other book on caregiving better than this. Not recommended.?Karen McNally Bensing, Benjamin Rose Inst. Lib., Cleveland
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Books (Adult Trd Pap); Rev&Updtd edition (June 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786882298
• ISBN-13: 978-0786882298
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #806,761 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Both reference & workbook, Loverde's Planner is a big help., December 17, 1998

By A Customer

In taking care of my mother for over ten years, I know that caring for aging parents can be a rewarding, but also a daunting, responsibility. Joy Loverde's book is a great aid for bringing structure to these tasks. It can help to keep the responsibilities manageable, even as they increase. It is a practical book - helpful and well organized - so you can find what you need to know now. It is also an action planner, so you can take a systematic approach to meeting the growing needs of elderly loved ones. Furthermore, it has a number of helpful worksheets, checklists and "document locator" pages. As you fill in these pages, you develop a reference of vital family information in a single location. There will be no last minute scramble for critical phone numbers for doctors, lawyer and insurance representatives or trying to find the location of important family documents. Helpful clues to look for as signs that your elders may need your assistance are given, including what changes to look for in health, attitude, cognitive function and hygiene. Tips on making a home safe for the elderly are addressed. How to make family communications run smoothly and the importance of keeping everyone informed are discussed and structured. Worksheets for information, tasks and progress are included. Chapters are concise and well indexed. A special chapter on emergency preparedness insures that a sudden health development will not catch you totally off guard. Even if you do wait until something happens, just having the checklists to review at the last minute can be a big help. The issues of transportation are reviewed with insight. Bringing up this delicate topic to older drivers may make them feel especially defensive about declining driving safety. Alternative transportation resources are reviewed. This book also provides a brief map through the maze of housing, financial, legal and insurance alternatives, and related professional advisory services and/or organizations for supplemental assistance. Tactful and constructive guidelines for dealing with doctors and medical groups are detailed. Health and wellness are discussed as well as death and dying with specific outlines for understanding both the related arrangements and emotions. Overall, this is an upbeat, positive book with an emphasis on improving the quality of life for all concerned. You can use it as a step by step handbook or just lookup and use what you want. It is packed with helpful information and resources. I only which I had had it ten years ago. The Complete Eldercare Planner could have saved me many trips to the library while caring for my mother. This book is organized, even if you aren't. Just having these checklists on the bookshelf may add to one's peace of mind. Highly recommended.

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars When you plan you have choices, May 4, 2001

By	National Alliance for Caregiving (Bethesda, Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Eldercare Planner, Second Edition: Where to Start, Which Questions to Ask, and How to Find Help (Paperback)

This is a book based on the principles of good planning and that it is better to be proactive than reactive. "When I plan, I have choices," the author states. And she gives the reader voluminous choices.

This is a book filled with forms and action steps, low-cost and free resources and explanatory narrative. It will get you to where you need to be to be an effective care planner and caregiver.

Topics include where to start, how to tell when your elder needs help, emergency preparedness, financial and legal matters, housing, long-distance caregiving, transportation, medical concerns, death and dying, and resources.

This is a highly accessible and well thought-out workbook. For example, the author has taken the highly complex issue of "Money Matters" and divided it into workable plans. The first deals with the business side of cargiving and lists the things you need to calculate expenses; part two helps you to figure out if you can afford elder care; and the third describes who pays for what. The fourth plan is asking for help with time and money, listing the kinds of resources you might need help with (home maintenance, cooking, exercise, heavy lifting).

The chapter then goes on to plans for helping your loved one plan for financial fitness, with workbook forms for determining his or her current financial state (medical costs, income, expenses, insurance policies, travel costs, and financial advisors).

With this material laid out so clearly, the tasks of caregiving do not feel so foreboding. This book takes the fear out of the unknown and makes caregiving manageable from the start.

The "Documents Locator" at the end -- the whole list of legal, personal, medical documents you might need -- is worth the price of admission alone.

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Could have been worse without this book, December 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Complete Eldercare Planner, Second Edition: Where to Start, Which Questions to Ask, and How to Find Help (Paperback)

Mom was very difficult and defensive. She thought we were telling her what to do and she didn't understand that the rest of us are trying to help her. Anyway, the Communication chapter in this book is extremely helpful and easy to try Joy's advice. When we learned how to talk to Mom differently, she started doing things that were best for the whole family. Joy's tips worked. What's also good about this book is we didn't have to wonder if we were leaving anything out - everything, every problem and solution is described, and things we can do. I liked the worksheets since I am not a very organized person. I highly recommend that you get this book and if you have brothers and sisters, get them a copy, too and you can all work together helping your parents. It save us so much time and money. We handled a lot of problems over the phone. Thank you, Joy.