Nursing Homes: The Family's Journey

"Your book is a treasure. I wish I had read it 5 years ago. It definitely would have made my journey easier! Appendix 2, Accessing care in Canada, and Appendix 4, the Questionnaire for viewing Nursing Homes, are invaluable. It took me months to figure those facts out for myself ... particularly the route to accessing care facilities, and the awareness that with costs based on income, they can be affordable to anyone. Most people assume that costs are prohibitive except for the wealthy, and for that reason they do not consider "care" an option for themselves. How can we make people aware of the many excellent, affordable facilities around? Public awareness, especially of Intermediate Care facilities, is important as so many seniors struggle independently, endangering their health and safety, unaware that Intermediate Care would indeed be not only suitable but also affordable for them. A number of doctors, to my knowledge, are even unaware of how the system works! Chapter 17, Difficult decisions, you presented very factually yet compassionately. It is so important to talk about the death of a loved one both before and after the event. Fear can be reduced and grief can be acknowledged. The care histories are so relevant. Hearing about others' anger, guilt and need for balance in personal life "hits home" with anyone who has had to put a loved one in care."

I have been working in the field of elder care for most of my adult life. I also have aging parents, and confront this issue in my personal life. Silin's new book is compassionate and senstive, and offers a complete view of the nursing home process.It is unique in that it offers much pragmatic information, but also helps the reader confront emotional issues. One way this is achieved is by the use of vignettes written by caregivers. These stories allow the reader to read other family member's perspective, which gives added insight to the nursing home industry.Silin also writes at length about such emotionally charged issues as abuse, guilt, loss and grief. He doesn't just raise these issues, but gives guidance and advice. This certainly will help people to deal with these painful issues.Although he is honest and direct, he never under estimates the value of good and caring people who work in nursing homes.After reading this book book, you will have a much more complete understanding of the problems both of nursing homes, of the people who live in them, and of their family and friends.

I read this book to get some answers about the procedures to follow for added care for my 91 year old mother who is still in her own apartment but is failing. This book not only gave me a step by step direction what to look for and the options to consider but also gave examples of what others were able to do.This book was most helpful and also gave insights about what to expect as the next stages of assistance unfold. I would recommend it to anyone else who is facing a similar situation.