Mom, Dad…Can We Talk? Insight and
Perspectives to Help Us Do What’s Best for Our Aging
Parents
Dick Edwards with Mike Ransom and Ruth
Weispfenning
Paperback, 5.5x8.5 in, 156 pages
Wheatmark, April 2009
ISBN: 9781604942408
Endorsements
"Mom, Dad…Can We Talk? raises the issues of aging
and family relationships that On Golden Pond did nearly a
generation ago. This is not a how-to formula book. There is no kit
involved, no GPS for solving the problems we will all encounter if
we are fortunate enough to have elders in our clan. No, this is a
book of hope to guide you through difficult family
times."
— Larry Minnix, President and CEO,
American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, the
national association of nearly 5,000 older adult service
organizations
"This book is wonderful, and will give readers terrific guidance
and a lot to think about. It might even lead to improved
parent-child relationships—very powerful, indeed."
— Michele Kimball, Executive Director,
AARP Minnesota
"This is a book I would keep on my bedside table. It’s like a
frank conversation with a real friend. However difficult the
circumstances or painful the journey, having older parents is a
privilege, a gift. This book reminds us that ‘ending
well’ is part of living—and helps us forward on that
journey."
— Gayle Kvenvold, President and CEO, Aging
Services of Minnesota, a nationally recognized state association of
aging services professionals
"This is a pleasurable journey filled with incredible insight. It
challenges us to think ahead, to be prepared, and in return assures
that in the end we’ll have no regrets."
— Mike Magee, MD, Author, The New Face
of Aging
"I was struck by the similarities of the topics and stories in
Mom, Dad…Can We Talk? to my experience as the
daughter of two aging parents and as physician to my older patients
and their families. The book is a must-read for those of us getting
older, to pave the way and to ease the potential burdens of those
who will care for us. Bravo!"
— Audrey Nelson, MD, Emerita Physician,
Mayo Clinic
"Mom, Dad…Can We Talk? is an excellent resource for
anyone working through the issues of aging parents. It touches on
topics many of us are reluctant to bring up within our families,
and each chapter offers practical tips to help adult children. This
is a wonderful, thought-provoking book for all families."
— Mark and Janet Skeie, Authors,
Mapping Your Retirement
Description
Mom, Dad…Can We Talk? is for the 53 million adult
children in America, the sandwich generation of boomers for whom
aging-parent issues and care concerns are an increasing reality.
Contained within the book are:
- 100 personal stories and quotes from adult children who have
journeyed with their parents through their later years
- Practical advice for initiating caring conversations, such as
"Mom, we’re worried about you living alone," or "Mom, Dad, we
need you to tell us what you want us to do."
- Helpful hints for managing the Big Ds of growing older:
dementia, drinking, depression, and driving
If you can stop, evaluate, anticipate, and communicate as your
parents get older, this phase of their lives will be more smooth
and enjoyable for all, with no regrets.
About the Author
Dick Edwards has thirty-five years of experience working closely
with older adults and their families. For the past twenty years he
served as administrator of Charter House, a nationally recognized
model for excellence in retirement living and long-term health care
affiliated with the world-renowned Mayo Clinic in Rochester,
Minnesota.
Dick and his wife, Pat, have three adult children and six
grandchildren.
