About this ebook
and at the kitchen table, children and parents are discussing some of
the most complex matters they will ever face. In most cases, neither
the child nor the parent expected such talks to take place. Aging is
inevitable, but most people are unprepared to discuss the practical
effects of a parent's transition from full independence to
semi-dependent living.
This is a book that looks to guide a
child towards successfully discussing a variety of subjects with a
parent that are often inevitable, and always somewhat uncomfortable:
(1) When is it time for a parent to
stop driving?
(2) How do Powers of Attorney work?
(3) When is it time to bring caregivers
into a parent's home?
(4) Is it time to admit a parent to a
nursing home?
(5) How will parents pay for nursing
home care?
These conversations (and 5 more) are
the types of conversations that most families will have, sooner or
later. How a family handles these talks can determine the success of
a parent's aging process. When properly handled, these conversations,
and the attendant planning they encourage, can ensure family
stability and successful aging.
This book identifies context that can
assist children in understanding a parent's thought-process during
such conversations, and provides helpful starting points for
conducting such discussions. Ultimately, the book seeks to promote
the concepts of independence, dignity, and self-governance as pillars
of central importance to the process of successful aging for parents.
Also included is a recommended step-by-step approach for ensuring
that a parent's aging process is simple, successful, and designed to
ensure family stability throughout periods of potentially difficult
transition.
About the author
Tye J. Cressman, Esq. is an attorney at Cressman & Erde, LLC, a firm based in Meadville, Pennsylvania, with offices located also in Titusville, Pennsylvania. He serves on an Of-Counsel Attorney basis at Lewis & Ristvey, P.C. in Hermitage, Pennsylvania. His practice is limited to estate planning, elder law, and estate administration, and covers the majority of Western Pennsylvania.
Tye is a frequent lecturer on the subjects discussed in this book, speaking to dementia-support groups, local bar associations, and Continuing Legal Education programs. He is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law.
His practice is founded on the premise that a client's goals must always guide any planning decision, and that even complex matters can be made simpler--or at least understandable--when viewed through this lens.