As Parents Age: book review
Professor David Demko, PhD
AgeVenture News Service
"As Parents Age: a psychological and practical guide" by Joseph Ilardo, PhD, LCSW is a valuable resource for baby boomers struggling with the responsibilities of caring for an aged parent. As you might imagine, the burden of caring for an elder parent is multidimensional. For example, beyond the obvious economic impact, there are social and psychological stressors that must be addressed. And what better place to turn for help then an expert on aging and eldercare. However, the author's best qualifications emerge from his personal experience of caring for his aged parents. While it is always a challenge for a professional to tackle tough cases, it is especially challenging to apply those same professional skills to one's personal life, and of greater difficulty when the concerns center on one's parents. Nevertheless, author Joseph Ilardo performs the task of creating this eldercare resource in a well-organized, comprehensive, and compassionate style.
Readers will find a down-to-earth, highly understandable explanation of the processes and consequences of human aging. Chapters include such topics as coping with parental aging, the multiple impacts of eldercare on the multigenerational family, insights into the unique nature of late-life mental disorders, do's and don'ts of home care, alternative living arrangements, end-of-life decisions, coping with loss, and a variety of self-help resources.
Joseph Ilardo directs the Center for Adult Children of the Elderly in New Fairfield, Connecticut. A licensed psychotherapist, he has worked for almost 20 years in private practice with elderly patients and their families. Upon learning of his father's serious, age-related memory problems, Ilardo recalls, "I learned in a very visceral way that aging has a profound impact not only on seniors themselves but also on their adult children."
"As Parents Age", 288 pages, 1998, Vanderwyk & Burnham, Acton, MA.
Graphic Credit: Randy Wells, Courtesy Tony Stone Images.
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David Demko reports on lifestyle issues and trends in Aging America.
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