Do you have a shadow of a life? Did you know that 67% of caregivers die before the person they are taking care of? Are you sleep deprived, physically, emotionally, financially or mentally drained, or bankrupt? In Saving Seniors’ Savings, Gerontologist Therese Johnson explains where to find resources to get caregivers and the money to pay for them, as well as plenty of financial resources that are available to everyone. Do you need a day off? Do you feel guilty because you don’t have enough time to care for your loved one or, enough money to get help for them? In this book, you will learn: -How to find the money to pay for Senior Care Services -How to eliminate your stress, exhaustion, time and money restraints that cause you guilt -How to prevent you or your loved one from losing their hard earned savings -How to get the help you need for your loved one so you can stay healthy and happy -How to create a personalized plan for yourself and not just the ones you love As a caregiver, if you’re not healthy, and you are constantly stressed, you won’t be able to continue to take care of your loved ones. If you’re under financial stress, this book will show you how to get the help and resources you need. Author Therese Johnson is a freelance writer and book author, local TV producer, radio show host on Money 105.5FM’s “Senior Moments”, and the founder of Senior Care Of Sacramento. She is a Gerontologist, community and social service specialist, continuing education provider, and administrator for residential care facilities for the elderly (RCFE). She is also an Alzheimer’s Specialist and certified nurse’s assistant. Johnson is passionate about optimizing the quality of life for senior citizens, through taking an integrative medicine approach to their care, as well as engaging in social and financial advocacy on their behalf. Johnson is also the founder and Executive Director of the Integrated Alzheimer’s Research Group, which provides Alzheimer’s intervention and prevention training. She is the founder and president of the Alzheimer’s Reiki Program, which offers continuing education for nurses and caregivers, taking a holistic approach to treating and holding in remission Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Johnson is also a volunteer for Sutter Auburn Faith Hospice.

Saving our seniors: preventing elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation: hearing before the Special Committee on Aging, United States Senate, One Hundred Seventh Congress, first session, Washington, DC, June 14, 2001.

The desire to help our elders navigate health issues is clear and universal—how to assure proper care and a good ending is not. Combining adroit storytelling skills with expert advice, The Gift of Caring: Saving Our Parents from the Perils of Modern Healthcare brings the reader into all-too-familiar scenarios facing our aging parents and offers answers to questions we may not know to ask until it’s too late. Author and biologist Marcy Houle shares her personal journey of caring for her father, a surgeon, who developed Alzheimer’s, and later her mother, who succumbed to other medical conditions. Like many children of aging parents, Marcy often felt powerless traveling this sad trajectory—watching them fall through the cracks of a fragmented and confusing healthcare system, where professionals often wrote off their symptoms as “just old age.” Not having the understanding of the changes that come with aging, she was led to believe there was nothing she could do to help. The tragic secret? According to coauthor and geriatrics physician Elizabeth Eckstrom, these symptoms frequently are not “just old age.” Rather, the problem is that the current healthcare delivery model for older people is ill-equipped to provide the comprehensive, person-centered care seniors need. Today, thousands of aging people face unnecessary suffering, hospitalizations, nursing home stays, and even death due to complications that could have been prevented or treated. Even more troubling, many healthcare professionals have had little or no training in the care of older adults. The Gift of Caring reveals these pitfalls and provides families with tools they can use to avoid them. Interspersed with every few chapters of Marcy’s riveting story, Dr. Eckstrom shares professional medical insights, compiled from the latest research, into what Marcy could have done to safeguard her parents. She shows us how to navigate the system, how we can become our loved one’s best advocate, and what we need to know to achieve healthy aging and meaningful, compassionate final years. Honest, at times humorous, and ultimately uplifting, The Gift of Caring sheds new light on aging from twin perspectives: a story of a daughter desperately seeking help for the parents she loves, and a geriatrician who gives us the knowledge we need to insist upon a better way.