Too often, families avoid discussing the important decisions that must be made before an illness, injury, or decline limits our ability to express our desires and/or restricts the options available. This program will help older adults as well as adult children of aging parents prepare for candid, knowledgeable discussion of ways to avoid a nursing home.

 

Commenting on her experience as a gerontologist, Jeannette tells us that, "After working with older people for more than three decades, I've seen mistakes that need to be avoided, brilliant good choices that need to be copied, and successes that need to be shared. One major lesson is that we always need to have a plan B, and even a C, D, and E. No one knows the future for certain. It is crucial to examine a wide range of options."

 

 

Author Bio: Jeannette Franks, PhD, is a passionate gerontologist who has taught ethics, grief and loss, and courses on geriatrics and gerontology for the University of Washington for over 25 years.  She received her PhD, MA, and BA from the UW.