"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


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., ClevelandCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Review
"Joy offers realistic solutions to the eldercare crisis every American faces today."
--White House Conference on Aging

"The book is the best we saw."
--American Medical Association

"You'll be prepared to deal with the stressful and time-consuming responsibilities of eldercare."
--Managing Work & Family, Inc.

FROM THE PUBLISHER