The first sign of Mother’s problem was not being able to get to the bathroom in time. Next, it was the choking. Later, Mother had difficulty swallowing. The doctor confirmed that Mother’s nerves, one by one, had ceased to fire; and therefore, her muscles, throughout her body, were atrophying.

At last I knew why my mother didn’t seem to smile anymore. She hadn’t lost her zest for life or her joy; it was simply that her smile muscles no longer worked. I knew why her voice weakened and cracked and sounded as if she were drowning in gravel. I knew why she couldn’t lift her head high, or write legibly or get out of a chair or walk on her own. I knew why my once soft mother seemed to be turning more and more to stone. I knew, but I didn’t know what to do about it.

Heart Sounds is the story about the journey with my mother through her final years, our coming to grips with her need for a nursing home, and our struggles with her imprisonment, both in EverSpring and in her own body. It is the story of her growth into tolerance and understanding of the other “inmates? and of our own growth together into a deepening, more mature love for each other.

This is a story of not giving up and not giving in. And because it is a true story, it is filled with humor and sometimes with fear, often with exasperation, but always with love. It is a story seldom described, but universally experienced.

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Examine the questions of “how,” “what,” and “why” associated with religiousness and spirituality in the lives of older adults!

New Directions in the Study of Late Life Religiousness and Spirituality explores new ways of thinking about a topic that was once taboo but that has now attracted considerable attention from the gerontological community. It examines various approaches to methodology and definition that are used in the study of religion, spirituality, and aging. In addition, it explores the ways that gerontological research can highlight the role of religion and spirituality in the lives of older adults.

The first section will introduce you to new ways of thinking about research methodology and data analysis that can be applied to studying the complexity of older adults’ religious/spiritual practice and beliefs. You’ll learn several approaches to the study of phenomena that are both personal and also deeply embedded in community.

The second section addresses issues of definition, exploring important questions that call for critical reflection, such as: “What are we studying?” “What social and psychological influences shape our thinking about definition?” and “Do the definitions used by gerontologists match those held by older people?”

The final section moves the study of religion, spirituality, and aging beyond a focus on health and mortality to examine well-being more broadly in the context of the life experiences of older adults.

Here is a small sample of what you’ll learn about in New Directions in the Study of Late Life Religiousness and Spirituality:

structural equation modeling-a statistical method designed to capture the dynamics inherent in the passage of time

feminist qualitative methods for studying spiritual resiliency in older women

spirituality as a public health issue

the differences between groups of older people in the way they define religion and spirituality

the psychosocial implications of two types of religious orientation-”dwelling” and “seeking”

older women’s responses to the experience of widowhood and to the question of whether their religious beliefs were affected by the experience

how social context influences our decisions and our interpretations of people’s religious beliefs, behaviors, and experiences

the ways that people caring for a spouse with dementia rely on religious coping

a model that delineates three different ways people relate to God in coping-and a study that asks whether these types of coping produce different outcomes for caregivers

how people adjust to bereavement as a function of their beliefs about an afterlife

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Aging in Place: Designing, Adapting, and Enhancing the Home Environment gives you a complete examination of current trends in adaptive home designs for older adults. As an occupational therapist, designer, architect, planner, social worker, community organizer, or gerontologist, you will explore innovative home designs and studies for creating environments that offer optimal living for aging adults. Complete with diagrams, floor plans, and tables, Aging in Place helps you to improve the quality of life for the elderly by offering them these state of the art designs that provide independence and dignity.

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A sublime and moving collection of essays by an eloquent master writer, Autumn Rhythm is equal parts candor, courage, humor, and desperation. A true-tongued, almost joyous gallows humor permeates the book, a meditation on what it’s like to be on the outer edge of “boomerhood,” on the cusp of official seniority; what it’s like to have been so long associated with a youth movement-rock music-yet to no longer be young. Autumn Rhythm comes from a man whose work has always been music as much as it’s been about it, and who now brings his syncopation of word, sound, and sense to the subject of life itself, as lived and lost: a frank, brilliant, and ultimately poetic contemplation of physical decline, the deaths of friends and family, and the confounding, ever-accelerating changes in our culture.

“A rant in [Meltzer's] finest and funniest manner, an epic vernacular monologue with stylistic roots in nineteenth-century humorists Bill Nye, Artemus Ward, and Mark Twain.”

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The phenomenon of age-related cognitive decline has long been controversial, both in terms of mere existence, and with respect to how it is explained. Some researchers have dismissed it as an artifact of declining health or lower levels of education, and others have attributed it to general changes occurring in the external environment. Still other interpretations have been based on the use it or lose it principle — known as the Disuse Hypothesis — or on the idea that there are qualitative differences in either the structure or the process of cognition across the adult years. Perhaps the most popular approach at present relies on the information-processing perspective and attempts to identify the critical processing component most responsible for age-related differences in cognition.

The primary purposes of this book are first to review the evidence of age-related differences in cognitive functioning and then to evaluate the major explanations proposed to account for the negative relations between age and cognition that have been established. Included is a discussion of theoretical dimensions and levels of scientific theorizing assumed to be helpful in understanding and evaluating alternative perspectives on cognitive aging. The various perspectives are then covered in detail and analyzed. The text concludes with observations about the progress that has been made in explaining cognitive aging phenomena, plus recommendations for research practices that might contribute to greater progress in the future.

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“An important contribution to the on-going national dialogue concerning the need for planning for an increasingly aged population and its impact on our social, political, medical, economic institutions.”
–Wisconsin Bookwatch

“Based on their assessments of the levels of need for the long-term care among African-American, Latino, and non-Latino white older persons, the authors offer viable and attractive possible alternatives to institutionalization in the long-term care of the elderly.”
–Nurse Practitioner

“A major contribution. Should be a part of every course on social gerontology, long-term care, the demography of aging, or formal/informal support networks of the elderly.”
–Robert Joseph Taylor, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan

America is getting older. By the year 2010, almost one in five Americans will be 65 years of age or older.

The combined forces of low fertility and longer life spans among all racial and ethnic groups have resulted in a disproportionate increase in the number of individuals over 65 and an even faster increase in the proportion of those individuals over eighty-five. As a result, the nation faces an unprecedented challenge in addressing the economic, medical, and long-term care needs of this older population at the same time that it assures the welfare of the young. The growth of the cost of the long-term care of the elderly is one of the major forces behind recent increases in Medicaid expenditures, and any reformed health care financing system will have to find ways of providing high quality long-term care to older Americans at a reasonable cost.

In a racially and culturally diverse nation like the United States, official policy regarding the care of the elderly simply cannot be based on the assumption that the elderly are a culturally and socially monolithic population. The cultural, social, and economic situations of the elderly simply differ too greatly and the family’s role in their care is affected by important cultural and social factors.

In Who Will Care for Us? Ronald J. and Jacqueline L. Angel argue that policies based on the assumption of a homogenous population will fail to take advantage of the opportunities that ethnic and cultural diversity offer for the long-term care of the elderly. The authors examine the great racial and ethnic diversity among the elderly in the contemporary U.S. in terms of living arrangements, economic well-being, and reliance on formal and family-based sources of support. Based on their assessments of the levels of need for long-term care among black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white older persons, they offer viable and attractive possible alternatives to institutionalization in the long-term care of the elderly.

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A comprehensive and empathetic program for addressing, planning, and putting into effect long-term elder care

Long -term care for aging parents is a sensitive, often difficult, but ultimately inevitable issue with which all of us will have to cope sooner or later. The Parent Care Conversation offers a step-by-step approach for families to follow that will enable them to develop workable plans of action. By first addressing the emotional aspects of long-term care that take into account the parents’ feelings and wishes, then integrating the practical and financial components, this book will open the door for a critical exchange of information and honest discussion among adult children and their aging parents that has long been the major roadblock to successful elder care. Filled with factual information, useful tips, real-life stories, and practical exercises, The Parent Care Conversation provides a proactive and collaborative solution to the long-term care issues that eventually everyone must face.

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Retirement can be a time of growth, or adventure, or complete and utter relaxation. Where you spend your retirement years, no matter how you may define them, has to be a place that fulfills your desires and meets your changing needs. Choose the South covers many communities in Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina that are ideal for retirees of every stripe. Descriptions of scenic, vibrant places, as well as essential information about the resources and activities available in these areas, allow you to make an informed decision about selecting the South as your ideal location to enjoy an affordable, active and safe retirement. Includes up-to-date information on real estate, recreation and culture, medical care, activities for visiting grandchildren and weather statistics.

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How does it feel when someone you love develops dementia? How do you cope with the shock, the stress and the grief? Can you be sure that you and your family will receive the support you need? In “Telling Tales About Dementia”, thirty carers from different backgrounds and in different circumstances share their experiences of caring for a parent, partner or friend with dementia. They speak from the heart about love and loss: ‘I still find it hard to believe that Alzheimer’s has happened to us’, writes one contributor, ‘as if we were sent the wrong script’. The stories told here vividly reflect the tragedy of dementia, the gravity of loss, and instances of unsatisfactory diagnosis, treatment and care. But they contain hope and optimism too: clear indications that the quality of people’s lives can be enhanced by sensitive support services, by improved understanding of the impact of dementia, by recognising the importance of valuing us all as human beings, and by embracing and sustaining the connections between us. This unique collection of personal accounts will be an engaging read for anyone affected by dementia in a personal or professional context, including relatives of people with dementia, social workers, medical practitioners and carers.

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While they are giving care, the nation’s 25 million family caregivers rarely get a rest. Gone are the days when you could rely on others to do the work of caring for a loved one in your family. America’s healthcare system throws many of the vital decisions, costs and burdens back on the family.

This book clearly defines your vital role in developing your loved one’s care plan. It teaches you to deal successfully with managed care organizations, home health services, and especially your loved one; and arms you with the knowledge and skills you need for deciding if your loved one’s care is appropriate, if your doctor is the right one, if something more is needed. From wills and powers-of-attorney, to practical tips for dealing with disabilities, to long term care options, to battling stress and depression — the shared wisdom in this book comes not only from the experienced editors of “Today’s Caregiver Magazine”, but also from the inspiring personal stories of readers of the magazine who have learned to “stand up to the system when the system no longer stands up for your loved one.”

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