What Do I Need and Where Do I Keep It? - The Dreaded Paperwork

What documents do we need, what do we probably have( but cannot find) and what we don’t have, and definitely need to create? Once we have all that paper, what do we do with it? And last, but not least, who needs to know what and where it is? This one hour presentation will show us:

• How to organize your personal paperwork and your elder loved one’s, too
• What are the storage options for all of this information
• Who to tell where all of our personal information is securely stored

Caregiving – One Job, Many Hats!

As a caregiver to an elder loved one, you will be involved in someone else’s life more than you ever dreamed possible. You will at times be lawyer, nurse, cook, home health aid, psychologist and peacemaker. While it’s never an easy undertaking, it can be very rewarding. Linda shares her 12 year journey with her aging Mother. In this presentation, Linda talks about:

• What are those hats and why you will be involved
• Why knowing your loved one’s wishes is vitally important to the both of you
• Why patience, understanding, and respect are not just desirable, but necessary

Under One Roof - Multigenerational Challenges
and Solutions

Today’s multigenerational households represent both the traditional and non-traditional. Four and five generation households are no longer uncommon, but challenges do occur. Linda talks about:

• How to establish rules of the household before chaos ensues
• What can be done to ensure the privacy of each individual while living as a group
• How to make gentle (and not-so-gentle) suggestions when things get tense

The Power of Reverse Psychology – How to Talk a Loved One into Accepting Change

Sometimes it’s not what you say, but how you say it that makes a caregiver’s job just a bit easier. We often ask ourselves, “How do I talk with Mom about her finances?” “What can I do to convince Dad to give up his car?” Those questions, and a myriad of others, require creative communication. Rather than demanding, why not just change your approach? Linda offers some creative and unique ideas:

• How to talk your elder loved one into trying something new
• What are the secrets of successful communication
• Understanding why you probably won’t get an answer on the first try

Planning for Our Last Days and Why It Is so Important

If you cannot speak for yourself, who knows what you want and will make certain your wishes are granted? At one of the most critical times in your life, are you and your family prepared? Never an easy subject to discuss, but absolutely necessary for anyone with family and/or loved ones. In 60 minutes, you will learn:

• How to talk openly about our own mortality with family and others
• What do you need to know about living wills, powers of attorney and all the other legal stuff
• Why hospice can play a major role in your wishes and plans

Fran’s Story – A Life Story Preserved

This one-hour presentation is about my Mother and the legacy she left me – her written life story. Because I believe we need to know where we came from to know who we are, written or recorded oral histories are a vitally important. When the older generations are no longer with us, their stories are gone forever – unless we have captured them in some form. Participants will discover:

• How we can encourage our parents and other elder loved ones to share their stories
• What are the various methods of capturing and documenting those precious bits of history
• Who should be involved in this project