Retirement News : Seniors : How Elder Care is Changing

How Elder Care is Changing

Date Added: 10-08-2005

Aug. 9, 2005 - Back in 1994, Gene B. Williams and artist and writer Patie Kay collaborated on "A Baby Boomer’s Guide to Caring for Your Aging Parent," a handbook on elder care that provides careful instructions on topics ranging from finances to communication, and practical tips on everything from preventing bedsores to helping a child cope with saying good-bye to a beloved grandparent. Later this month, Taylor Trade Publishing is releasing an updated version of the classic. This time, the authors teamed up with Williams's brother David, a registered geriatric nurse who specializes in pain management technology, to provide readers with more up-to-the-minute medical information and better resources. NEWSWEEK's Peg Tyre spoke with co-author Gene B. Williams about how views toward elder care have changed in the past decade.

NEWSWEEK: Why did you originally write this book?
Gene B. Williams: When I was a young boy, my grandmother was trapped in a wheelchair; so was my grandfather, very nearly. I shoveled their walk. I helped clean their houses. Elder care was part of my life. I grew up in that situation. Patie Kay’s mother had terminal cancer. She was thrown into elder care. Suddenly, she was keeping track of pills, watching the diet, keeping the doctors’ appointments. We decided together that there was so much that people didn’t know about elder care. We wanted to give them an idea of what was involved and how to get information.

Why update it now?
Attitudes toward elder care have changed and we wanted to reflect that. We also modified the resource section--a lot of it was updated and improved. I also got my brother [a geriatric nurse] involved. With his help, we added more medical advice.

In what ways has our attitude toward elder care changed in the past decade?
People are starting to realize that our population is aging. People used to get to a certain age and then they’ll be gone. Now they can live to 100 years old. They’re living longer. They’re staying independent. But all that can bring an additional cost. They retire at 65 now, and they have 30 years left.

How much of an impact does elder care have on the caregivers’ life?
It can be huge. You have an elder who may or may not want [care], but needs it. You have a spouse who also needs your attention. Usually, the caregiver has children, too. You end up being ripped in all direction. It’s a strain.

Is there any way to avoid that strain?
There is no way to avoid it, but there are ways to deal with it. People are becoming more aware of the [burden of elder care]. The more informed they are, the easier it will be.

For More Information:

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8874843/site/newsweek/