According to a research study by Harris Interactive® for Martindale-Hubbell® Published in 2007. Over 55% of all adult Americans do not have a will. Only one in three African American adults (32 percent) and one in four Hispanic American adults (26 percent) have wills, compared to more than half (52 percent) of white American adults.
It is very important for the American population to understand that there are many glaring flaws within the legal system that places our seniors at great risk for abuse both medically and financially. As baby boomers (over 79 million in America) are now aged 42 and above according to Senior Journal, the subject matter of Preparing, Emotionally, Financially and Legally for a Parents’ Death is becoming increasingly relevant. The need will only increase as our parents are living longer but not necessarily healthier, with different medical and health concerns. When families really understand the significance of planning ahead for end-of-life issues, probate can be easily avoided if the family has a plan and works together as a team. In this elderly population, now is the time for those crucial conversations to take place, not later.
I explain everything you need to know about these issues in full detail, along with other important information covering the financial, legal and emotional necessities of aging and end-of-life issues, in my upcoming book Why Wait? The Baby Boomers’ Guide to Preparing Emotionally, Financially and Legally for a Parent’s Death which is coming out Nov 15, 2011.
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Author and public speaker, Carolyn A. Brent, provides a comprehensive handbook for family caregivers, highlighting the crucial conversations siblings and their aging parents must have. She draws upon her own heartbreaking family experiences, plus exhaustive research on the subject, outlining a step-by-step process that can spare caregivers and their families the stress of conflict at a time of grieving and loss, but also an opportunity to mend fences and renew the connection and communication they once enjoyed with each other.
You can also download a free Medical Check List by clicking this link.
And please do leave a comment below. I would love to hear about your personal story or experiences on this topic.
Carolyn A. Brent, M.B.A., is a former clinical educational manager in the pharmaceutical industry. During her role as a panelist on many clinical studies, she developed a passion to inform the public about the many side effects of drugs, especially those used in the care of the elderly. When her own father became ill with dementia in 1997, she began to experience firsthand the frustration of not only coping with the medical world, but also the legal, financial, and, of course, emotional aspects of caring for her aging father. Today, Carolyn is an avid activist and advocate working with the U.S. Congress for the purpose of creating change to protect seniors and veterans from financial and medical abuse. She has appeared on many local and national TV and radio shows, and is a sought-after keynote speaker. She resides in Northern California.
Her book Why Wait? The Baby Boomers’ Guide to Preparing Emotionally, Financially and Legally for a Parent’s Death is coming out Nov 15, 2011.
