ART OF CAREGIVING with Amy O’Rourke
America’s Advocate for Caregivers and Families
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G R O W I N G B O L D E R / D E C E M B E R D I G I TA L D I G E S T 2 1
The holidays are here: food, fun and connecting with those we care most about. The chance, finally, to be together once again. And an opportunity for adult children and aging parents to have what can be some of life’s most important and meaningful conversations. Knowing that we need to have these conversations is one thing. Growing Bolder’s aging and care management expert Amy O’Rourke shares some advice from her new book, The Fragile Years, Proven Strategies for the Care of Aging Loved Ones for her advice on beginning the conversation. I’ve worked with many families overwhelmed by the complex and emotional decisions they face when a previously healthy and self-sufficient parent becomes dependent upon them. That is why I encourage you to prepare for a parent’s fragile years by talking to them about their preferences for care. Eighty percent of Americans say they would prefer to die at home, but only 20 percent are actually home when they die. Sixty percent die in acute care. Twenty percent die in nursing homes. Yet, in our experience, the best place for clients to spend their final hours is at home with loved ones.
