In 2011, the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) reported a record breaking number of Baby Boomers applying for SSA benefits. This means that we, the Baby Boomer generation, who back in the 1960s referred to ourselves as “the younger generation” are now taking the place of our parents as the “older generation.”
But how much do we know about what is really important to think about as we age? Baby Boomers, have you ever thought having the “crucial conversations” with your adult children?
What do I mean by “crucial conversations”? I mean the kinds of conversations about end-of-life issues. The kinds of conversations no one wants to have, but absolutely must.
As we age, it is important that we and our children clearly understand:
- If we get suddenly and unexpectedly ill, who is going to take us to the hospital?
- What kind of care do we want?
- Where are the finances for hospital, nursing care, long-term care going to come from?
- And finally, what are our desires regarding our funeral? Who is going to pay for it?
If we as parents don’t have these discussions with our adult children, all hell can break loose when we are too ill to intervene, with everyone expressing different desires, often putting stress upon everyone involved.
So, stop and think about it.
Now is the time to have that family meeting and discuss your wishes regarding end-of-life issues. When a parent—or anyone, for that matter—reaches the stage of life that is the end of life, there needs to be a way provided for that person to die with dignity and in relative peace. For children, this can be a difficult transition, and confusion and strife are not optimal. However, when your family is prepared in matters of finance, medical care, end-of-life choices, this allows siblings to be good partners for each other and strong advocates for the wishes of the parents.
I explain everything you need to know about these crucial conversations 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. Be sure to subscribe to this blog to receive regular helpful tips, and news of the upcoming book release.
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The book Why Wait? is having its official Amazon launch on Tuesday November 15th. To celebrate this launch, Carolyn will be hosting a FREE 3-part telesummit, with a panel of experts in the field of aging and care giving on November 8th, 9th and 10th:
8 Leading Expert Speakers on Preparing Emotionally,
Financially and Legally for the Death of a Parent
DATES: November 8th, 9th, 10th, 2011
TIME: 12noon PST, 3pm EST, 8pm UK, 9pm Europe
LENGTH: 90 minutes each
Guest speakers:
- Carolyn A. Brent, M.B.A. – speaker, activist, author of Why Wait?
- Lynn Serafinn, MAED, CPCC – author, coach, book promotions
- Mikol S. Davis, Ed.D. – Clinical psychologist specializing in aging issues
- Caron Goode, Ph.D. – Founder of Academy for Coaching Parents
- Patricia Tyson RN/BSN – Hospice Nurse
- Joyce Joneschiet – consultant for seniors and Baby Boomers
- Ameenah Fuller, MPP – Publisher and Candidate forCaliforniaStateSenate
- Carolyn Rosenblatt, RN, BSN – author, attorney, specializing in legal issues of aging
To register FR*EE, go to:
http://babyboomersguide.org/book-launch/telesummit.html
If you cannot attend the live event, register anyway because the audio will be available for a limited time after the event.
On that call, you’ll receive over 4 hours of
compassionate advice and practical information to help you deal the topic
no one really wants to talk about, but absolutely must.
To find out more about how to buy the book, and receive all these free gifts on November 15th, go to: http://babyboomersguide.org/book. On that page, you can sign up for a “launch reminder” so you don’t forget to come back and get the book and claim your gifts on November 15th.
Aging can be a scary topic for many of us. But it can also be a time when we become more graceful and wise. I know Carolyn’s book—and her work as a speaker and activist—will surely help thousands of people learn how to deal with this very important subject, which is relevant to all of us.
I do invite you to check it out.
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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.
