Doris Inc.: A Business Approach to Caring for Your Elderly Parents

Keep your life in balance while maximizing the quality of life of an elderly loved one When Shirley Roberts′ father passed away, her life and career were put on hold as she focused on the demands of caring for her ailing mother, Doris. Drawing on their extensive business experience, Shirley and her brother devised a solution that they called Doris Inc. They applied management practices to caregiving to ensure that their mother received top–notch care, and they could still have lives of their own. In Doris Inc. Shirley Roberts shares the strategies that worked so well for her family including: Concrete advice about making tough decisions Help navigating the health–care maze Financial pitfalls and ways to avoid them How to get help in a crisis Tips on planning for your own golden years . . . Praise for Doris Inc. "I was thrust into a caregiving role for my parents without much support or guidance. It was a grueling and life–altering experience. I know just how significant a contribution Doris Inc. will make to the lives of caregivers and their loved ones."— Christine Lasky, Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation, Toronto "Doris Inc. has empowering insights that will help family caregivers lower their fear and stress and approach their role in a prepared, informed and proactive way."— Kathi Colwell, RN, Program Manager, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Providence Care Hospital, Kingston

Acknowledgments vii Introduction 1 Chapter 1: My Heart–Wrenching Caregiving Dilemma 3 Chapter 2: Creating Doris Inc. to Take Better Care of Mom and Me   19 Chapter 3: Finding Balance in My Life  39 Chapter 4: Planning for the Stages of Decline  59 Chapter 5: Financial Planning for Senior Decline  77 Chapter 6: Elder Proofi ng to Reduce Preventable Crises  111 Chapter 7: Navigating the Health–Care Maze and Advocating for Mom  127 Chapter 8: Choosing the Right Type of Living Arrangements 149 Chapter 9: Finding the Best Retirement Residence with Mom 173 Chapter 10: Finding a Good Nursing Home for Mom 185 Chapter 11: Dealing with Dementia  205 Chapter 12: The Last Life of Doris 233 Appendix: Caregivers’ Palliative–Care Guide  249 Index 253

Shirley Roberts is a graduate of the Ivey School of Business. She ran her own consulting firm, Market–Driven Solutions Inc., before becoming a published author and a consumer trend–spotter, whose research and advice were sought by media and large corporations. Shirley was a board member of Parkinson Society Canada from 2006–2009 and was the primary caregiver of her mother for seven years.