What's inside
Practical step-by-step, room-by-room guide to simple modifications that can help seniors make their homes safer and easier to navigate. It offers readers clear and practical solutions, from how to sleuth out the places most likely to cause a potential fall to learning how to modify and equip the home to prevent those falls.
Guided Walking Tour
Part one joins Lynda on a guided walking tour starting with the exterior through the entranceway and into all the living areas of the home. Along the way you will learn how best to make modifications to maximize ease with mobility and overall safety.
Hacks for Health and Home
At the end of each chapter are “Hacks for Health and Home” – Helpful tips garnered from years of providing Occupational Therapy in the home.
Organizing Efforts to Care
Part two teaches the family how best to organize their efforts to care for mom and dad. This includes how to detect that they need help, strategies to encourage them to accept the help, methods to create the caregiving team and ways to organize the tasks that need to be done.
Check Lists
Check lists for vital documents for easy retrieval in case of an emergency.
Equipment and Services Recommendations
Part three includes recommendations for the best home medical equipment, where to obtain services and additional helpful resources. Throughout the book are photographs of actual modifications as well.
Fill-in-the Blank Sheets
Fill-in-the blank sheets at the end of the book so the reader can conduct their own assessment of the home with highlighted potential trouble spots and tips on modifications.
Endorsements
Dr. Robi Ludwig, TV host/personality, author, and psychotherapist
Lynda Shrager shares her extensive knowledge, pragmatic know-how and empathic perspective about one of the most challenging questions many adult children need to ask themselves when it comes to their aging parents…”What do we do now?”. When a parent’s health fails them but their resistance to move doesn’t, Lynda helps the reader understand his or her parent’s perspective. She also skillfully assists her readers to manage this challenging and often emotionally draining issue, while making sure the aging parent continues to feel loved, respected and safe. It’s a must-read for anyone facing this overwhelming yet very common situation.
– Michael Leonard Wolff, M.D., F.A.C.P., Program Director, Geriatric Medicine Fellowship, Albany Medical College; Professor, Ringel Institute of Gerontology; Chief Physician, Continuing Care, St. Peter’s Health Partners, Albany, New York
With both wit and wisdom Lynda imparts invaluable strategies and tips to help seniors safely remain in their homes.
Amy S. D’Aprix, MSW, Ph.D., Life Transition Expert, Internationally renowned expert on lifestyle issues related to aging
Age in Place is a godsend for family caregivers wondering if their aging parents are safe in their home. Filled with practical tips and easily implemented strategies, Lynda Shrager’s engaging style makes this book a pleasure to read. Give this book to every person you know who has an aging parent!
Excerpt from the book
“I’m not leaving this house until they take me out horizontally."
“I’m not leaving this house until they take me out horizontally.” These were the words spoken by one of my patients as she greeted me at the door when I arrived to complete an assessment of her home. She was echoing the sentiments, according to AARP, of the more than “90% of seniors who prefer to age in place; staying in their own homes, continuing to make independent choices and maintaining control over their lives.” The problem is these homes have often become difficult to negotiate and manage. Despite the hurdles, our senior parents have expressed a desire to stay in their homes no matter the challenges of doing so. And the poor kids, knowing mom has trouble getting in and out of the shower, knowing dad is unsteady on the stairs, have had nowhere to turn. Until now.
"Our parents are living longer...
and as their children, we’re often tasked with making sure they can continue to live as independently and safely as possible. Age In Place takes the stress out of facing this challenge. It provides a helpful, compassionate roadmap for this new stage of caring for elderly parents, making sure everyone knows what to do. Step by step, it’s a book that offers tremendous peace of mind."
Oh, I wish that I had this book
Oh, I wish that I had had this book when I was downsizing my parents from a big house to a big apartment but I am SO HAPPY that I have it to take them from an apartment to a retirement home!
Excellent examples
Excellent examples, creative and kind solutions to baffling situations fill the book and make it one that demonstrated how to realize the heartfelt desire to age in place.
AMAZING. That is how I would describe Age in Place in one word!