Being a caregiver for the past ten years to my elderly mother I know this is a book you must have. This is not a book you read!  It is a worthwhile reference resource for professionals, caregivers and those who want to become informed about aging and what to expect. The title says it all; it is indeed an authoritative guide based on the authors’ decades of experience working with the adult child of aging parents, aging couples and all families dealing with aging as an inevitable fact of life. 

Focusing on the drama of the later years, the authors’ theme is the interplay of aging parents and their children. Today, an octogenarian may have children in their sixties, grandchildren in their forties and great-grandchildren in their twenties.  As a result, the lessons learned from the senior most family members will resonate for generations, for good or ill.  The authors acknowledge that many, if not most children manage to care for parents in need with remarkable ingenuity and skill. Yet, even the most natural of caregivers will face the inevitable mismatch between their skills and their resources and their aged parents’ needs and preferences at the end of the life span. The authors, with decades of experience, address this conflict with a variety of practical examples and vivid scenarios.  Recognized is the necessity of a blending of personality traits between the caregiver/s and the person being cared for.  Here too, numerous, vividly spelled-out examples are cited.  Aware of the stress upon the caregiver, Drs. Aronson and Weiner encourage her/him to make sure that they are conscious of their own needs and not get caught into the “self-sacrificing” mode so many fall prey to. 

Alzheimer’s Disease is covered very comprehensively and there is essential information about long-term care services and options. In summary, this book is everything a caregiver would need to know, the match, or not, of different personalities, navigating the system when seeking outside sources for care, home care, and other solutions deemed most viable for that particular family.

This book is the handbook/guide for every professional, one you cannot do without. I recommend this book highly. It is well researched, well documented and reads smoothly.  Easy to use, it should be in your office bookcase and suggested to all who seek you out.