Let's Talk about Aging Parents: A Real-Life Guide to Solving Problems with 27 Essential Conversations

Laura Tamblyn Watts, Debra Whitman

Book cover for Let's Talk about Aging Parents: A Real-Life Guide to Solving Problems with 27 Essential Conversations
Book cover for Let's Talk about Aging Parents: A Real-Life Guide to Solving Problems with 27 Essential Conversations

Let's Talk about Aging Parents: A Real-Life Guide to Solving Problems with 27 Essential Conversations

Let's Talk about Aging Parents: A Real-Life Guide to Solving Problems with 27 Essential Conversations

Laura Tamblyn Watts, Debra Whitman

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Description

Should my mom move into a retirement home? Does my dad have dementia? And how on earth can I get my stepmom to give up her car keys?

Worries like these can plague people with older relatives. Author Laura Tamblyn Watts understands: Her own parents are in their eighties, and she's spent her career informing others about aging people's needs.

Tamblyn Watts outfits readers with 27 prompts and roadmaps for informed, honest conversations with their aging parent--or family members, health care providers, and other professionals. She covers questions like:

  • Does my parent need help around the house?
  • What kind of medical issues should we look out for?
  • Do I really need to help my parent if they're toxic?
  • How can my family share the caregiving load?

How to have the discussion is just as important as what needs to be discussed, so each chapter has tips for navigating complicated emotions and reaching an agreement when everyone has different ideas. Readers will get informed, have a productive conversation, and make a plan--then focus on making the most of their time with their aging relative.

About the Author

Laura Tamblyn Watts is the CEO of CanAge, Canada's national seniors' advocacy organization. She teaches Law and Aging at the University of Toronto and has worked as a lawyer defending elders' rights. Watts is also a regular media guest and keynote speaker on aging issues. She lives in Toronto, Canada.

Critical Reviews

As an international leader in aging, Laura Tamblyn Watts invites us to join her on a journey supporting the older adults in our lives. Her vital questions and practical tips help us navigate caregiving with grace, humor, dignity, love, and joy. As I discuss what's next with my own aging mother, this book is a lifeline filled with sample scripts and pragmatic charts. And as a lifelong advocate for survivors of abuse, I appreciate how this book addresses topics like elder and sexual abuse head on, with compassion and sensitivity. I wholeheartedly recommend this guide to the current and next generations of care providers and family members.--Bonnie Brandl, founder and former director of the National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life (NCALL)

With her characteristic wit and panache, Laura Tamblyn Watts had me laughing, shouting, weeping, and reading with my jaw dropped. She tells real, relatable stories and offers concrete actions that all of us can take. I can't wait to share this book with my friends and family.--Gregor Sneddon, executive director of HelpAge Canada

This is a profound, astute book that resonates with readers from all walks of life. It provides unique insights on our aging population and brings the realities so many families are facing to the surface, offering a strong foundation for engaging in a conversation that we all need to have. It's real, it hits home, and it's on point.--Kahir Lalji, certified professional gerontologist, vice chair of HelpAge Canada, and provincial director of government relations and programs at United Way British Columbia

This book comes at a significant time as we work toward providing better support for our aging population, and as a new caregiver myself, I relate very strongly to the subjects it covers. Tamblyn Watts includes all the topics that are vitally important to anyone who is caring for an aging parent. She navigates challenging issues with eloquence, demonstrating profound empathy and understanding on each page.--Alex Mihailidis, scientific director of AGE-WELL and professor at the University of Toronto

Being thrust into the role of caregiver for an aging parent (or two) can be challenging, overwhelming even. There are so many questions and so much fear. Thankfully, Laura Tamblyn Watts provides many of the answers--guiding us from 'The Talk' about moving from the family home to a care home, to the sensitive discussion about whether it's time to stop driving, to the joys of toileting. This is a book whose practical tips will save you many a sleepless night.--André Picard, health columnist for The Globe and Mail and author of Neglected No More

Laura Tamblyn Watts, CEO of the seniors advocacy group CanAge, offers a practical guide to some common but very delicate situations.--Toronto Star

[Let's Talk About Aging Parents] is set up to coach readers through big steps such as moving into a home and smaller ones such as when it's time to stop driving. . . . What you'll hear as you work through this book is the voice of experience.--The Globe and Mail

Instant #2 Globe & Mail Bestseller

"A highly recommended resource that tackles the many aspects of caregiving for an aging parent. . . . chock-full of practical solutions to the many situations that may arise.--Library Journal, starred review

Publishing Information

Publisher: Experiment, LLC
Pub date: 2024-04-30
Length: 256 pages

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