My Last Stop: Reflections on Senior Living

"We never used the phrase 'last stop' or explicitly announced to our children that this was where we were going to die. Yet I think we all knew that was the plan." Margery Fridstein and her husband, Bob, were active seniors, working and skiing into their eighties. They were close to their adult children, scattered across the country, but valued their independence. So when health issues drew them away from their beloved home in the Colorado mountains, they looked for a place that would support their lifestyle now and eventually care for them if their health failed. Like tens of thousands of other Americans, they chose a Continuing Care Retirement Community. Fridstein, a psychotherapist with a lifetime of experience evaluating people and relationships, shares her resulting ups and downs in this intimate, clear, funny, and informative memoir. She's ready to answer the questions about retirement community living that matter to seniors but are rarely addressed by outsiders. What are the people like? What is the food like? What are the rules? What will I do all day? What if I get sick? Is it really possible-or even a good idea-to live with so many old people? And in her own matter-of-fact way, she also tackles tough questions about handling the loss of health and loved ones, and eventually end-of-life decisions. Charming and conversational, Margery's insights will be a valuable resource for seniors, and their families, who are considering their own decisions about aging well.