|
Baby Boomers-Sandwiched Between Retirement & Caregiving is a "how-to" guide by a fellow baby boomer who had nowhere to turn and everything to learn when her parents needed care. Dr. Haymon was unprepared and overwhelmed with the myriad of questions fired at her the day her step-father had to be rushed to a hospital and her mother had to be moved from their home to a care facility.
An emergency room is not the time or the place to make end-of-life decisions or determine whether you can legally make medical decisions for your loved ones. Dr. Haymon discusses the impact staying in denial has on families and the danger of not confronting myths about elderly loved ones' ability to safely live alone. She guides readers through numerous medical choices and examines the pros and cons of hospitalization, CPR, feeding tubes and artificial respiration. She stresses the importance of making informed decisions in advance and reviews medical advance directives to ensure last wishes are carried out.
Dr. Haymon offers her Red Flag Checklist to help individuals assess their loved ones' true level of functioning and determine appropriate levels of care. She also explores the pros and cons of possible living arrangements including: personal care homes, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and Alzheimer's facilities. She cautions readers about certain factors that need to be considered prior to making this life-changing decision.
In clear, easy-to-understand language Dr. Haymon offers a full review of assistance programs including: Medicare Parts A (Hospital Insurance), B (Medical Insurance), C (Advantage Plans) and D (Drug Benefit Program), Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, Optional Supplemental Income, S-CHIP, Veteran's Benefits, Reverse Mortgages and more. She helps readers gain a better understanding of HMOs, PPOs, and POSs. Dr. Haymon also decodes the alphabet soup of acronyms used by medical and legal professionals including those used by financial planners: IRAs, SEPs, ROTHs, 401Ks, and others, and guides readers through the maze of options associated with caregiving and retirement.
Dr. Haymon asks probing questions which helps readers determine if they are financially ready for retirement. She offers suggestions to help individuals become better prepared including ways to avoid unnecessary income taxes, estate taxes and probate. She explores traditional and non-traditional retirement life-styles, and teaches readers how to plan a dress rehearsal before they retire.
She carefully leads readers through emotions commonly felt by caregivers, their family members, and the elderly who are being taken care of. She shares her Feelings Checklist to help readers identify, validate and normalize their feelings. She also shares insights gained while writing this book and invites readers to consider the eternal nature of relationships. She also helps readers discover ways to say good-bye and bring closure before and after the death of loved ones.
Complete with the most up-to-date Resource List-over 250 agency listings with websites and local addresses, phone and fax numbers and a Glossary of over 150 acronyms used by medical professionals and financial gurus, this resource manual will be read, re-read, and repeatedly referred to for generations to come.
"Baby Boomers. . . belongs in the library of every caregiver, clinician and counselor!"
Jean Posner M.D., Neuro-Psychiatrist, Owings Mills, Maryland
|
