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By Rita R. Robison, Blogging at The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Guest Blogger

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, a celebration that often brings great joy as baby boomer families and friends gather to share their lives and give thanks in traditional ways.

Thursday, boomer consumers will plunge into the holiday season

Often times, the holiday season becomes so busy that excitement and joy turns into stress and even depression.

Here are tips for reducing holiday stress that I’ve used throughout the years:

• Make a budget for the holiday season and stick to it. It will help reduce financial worries and stress. Since we’re in a severe recession, family members and friends may be more willing to talk about scaling back on present giving costs.

• Buy as many gifts as you can before those last store-crowded shopping days, and use the Internet NOW for shopping before you’ll be required to pay high shipping costs. If you shop on the Internet, you can compare prices and find coupons. See my articles “Tips for Baby Boomers for Holiday Shopping” and “Opportunities Abound for Baby Boomers to Cut Costs With Internet Coupons.”

• Evaluate your holiday plans to determine if you can find ways to cut costs or stressors. Give up on the idea of buying the perfect gift for everyone, and ask family members to bring side dishes for the big celebration dinner.

• Remember to carry out and establish new, easy traditions. I like to buy one ornament for the tree each year. It’s fun to talk about when the different ornaments were purchased and which is the favorite of the children and grandchildren.

• Take time to rest and relax. If you’re exhausted and the big day is still a couple of weeks away, reevaluate. Cut out projects or events, put your feet up, and unwind.

• Be flexible. Things may be changing for you as a boomer because your parents or grandparents aren’t able to host holiday gatherings or they may have passed away. Adult children may live around the country, so it’s not possible to celebrate together. Your spouse or partner may have died, or you may be divorced or single. You’ll need to think of new ways to find joy and establish new traditions.

• Figure out a way to help others. Buy food or gifts for a needy family, or find organizations that people here or abroad and make a contribution.

• Say no if you’re beginning to feel panicky. Work to get done what you can each day, and delete tasks and eliminate events to reduce stress.

• Be sure to experience much joy and fun. It’s what the holiday season is about.

Here are articles with more suggestions to help boomer consumers enjoy holiday season by reducing stress and depression.

“How to Avoid Holiday Stress and Depression” – eHow

“Avoid Holiday Stress - Start Now!” – Dr. David Posen

“Three Ways to Avoid Christmas Stress with Your Aging Parents” – Aging Parents Authority

“Stress, Depression and the Holidays: 12 Tips for Coping” – MayoClinic.com

“Tips for Reducing Holiday Stress” – WebMD

“Avoid Holiday Burnout: Four Keys to Sane and Healthy Holidays” – MedicineNet.com

“How to Avoid Three of the Top Causes of Holiday Stress” – Ezine Holiday Articles

“Managing Holiday Stress” – Cleveland Clinic

Below is a list of some wonderful books and resources in these times of economic and emotional turmoil.

A Journey Well Taken: Life After Loss by Elaine Williams
http://www.ajourneywelltaken.com

A Widow’s journey through loss, grief and renewal
Midwest Book Review - 5 Stars

Book: Money and Manifesting by Dyan Garris. Why the Law of Attraction is not enough to manifest and exactly what to do about it. Learn to manifest in a multi-dimensional, integrative way. www.voiceoftheangels.com  mail@voiceoftheangels.com

Diagnosis: Lupus, The Intimate Journal of a Lupus Patient
When she was suddenly assaulted by myriad baffling symptoms of joint pain and extreme fatigue, the author embarked on an intensive search for diagnosis and treatment of what would be diagnosed as systemic lupus erythematosus, a little-known autoimmune disease that promised to destroy her body, her mind and her spirit. From the pages of her intimate daily journal, we travel with her through chronic joint pain, frustration, anger and grief for her former self to her current state of remission. Far from being a litany of complaints, the author’s pages reveal her unexpected spiritual growth and gratitude for life itself, and she hopes she can be of help to others who suffer from this disease or other chronic illness.
Contact: marilyncmorris@ sbcglobal. net

Invisible Blueprints — Intuitive Insights for Fulfillment in Life by Diane Brandon – 5-Star Rating on Amazon.com

Invisible Blueprints encapsulates information Diane Brandon has gained through her integrative intuitive counseling work with clients and covers such topics as personal growth and unfolding, essence, relationship types, soul agreements, purpose and mission, reincarnation, spectrum of consciousness, manifesting, and even how readings are evolving from “fortune-telling” to counseling and personal facilitation.
Available on Amazon.com and www.dianebrandon. net/products.asp

Contact: diane@dianebrandon. com

Law of Achievement; Discover Your Purpose, Possibility and Potential
Law of Achievement offers a rare look into what it really means to discover your purpose, possibility and potential. Kathleen and Lori dare to reveal uncommon and rarely explored philosophies in this unique book.
Message of Hope; Inspiriational Thoughts for Uncertain Times
Message of Hope offers invaluable, inspirational, highly recommended perspectives for dealing with life’s uncertainties, especially those arising from change, loss, death, and fear. Each single page observation is worth of contemplation and reflection.
Kathleen Gage
The Street Smarts Marketer
P.O. Box 551
Pleasant Hill, OR 97455
541.654.0426
http://www.kathleengage.com

http://www.themarketingmindset.com (blog)
http://www.dailyawareness.com (spiritual blog)

How to Heal from Psychic Attack the Problem Solvers Alphabet by Nita Hickok ISBN 1411688708
The Problem Solvers Alphabet uses symbols to cleanse, clear and resolve problems in the persons life to empower them in all of their decisions.

http://www.lulu.com/astralhealer

Bringing to Beneficial Law of Attraction: The Manifestation Teachings her extensive studies in ancient and contemporary wisdom and philosophy, Ms Bradford has acquired more then a quarter of a century expertise in Clinical and Transpersonal hypnosis. In spite of her extensive professional credentials, she could never have imagined the singular psychic event that would transform her life. Commencing in the winter of 2004, a hypnosis client, Lena Lees spontaneously channeled twenty-eight sessions delineating Eastern goddess of Compassion, Kuan Yin’s modern spiritual scriptures. Witness and transcriber of these sessions, Ms. Bradford then compiled them into the extraordinary manuscript, The Living Word of Kuan Yin: The Teachings and Prophecies of the Goddess of Compassion and Mercy. Distilling from that work, the essence of the goddess teachings, Ms. Bradford now brings to you the highlights of Kuan Yin’s world-renowned compassion along with the next generation of manifestation sciences.
The Living Word of Kuan Yin <”

http://www.amazon.com/Living-Word-Kuan-Yin/dp/1419646400

Beneficial Law of Attraction: The Manifestation Teachings: www.lawofattractioninfo.

Storm
by: Joyce A. Anthony
“Who he is and why he’s here is a mystery, even to Storm–a mystery that can only be solved within the whirling rainbow. As he searches for answers, he touches the lives of society’s forgotten and when he finds his identity, nobody is left untouched.”
http://www.storm.2freedom.com/

A Book Inside, How to Write, Publish, and Sell Your Story available through http://www.BooksByDenbow.Weebly.com

Learn to write a book, what publishing options you have, and how to market for success!

Boosting Your Baby’s Brain Power
Boosting Your Baby’s Brain Power offers practical and fun ways for parents to develop and nurture maximum brain power from the womb to baby’s first birthday!
Oh, Baby! 7 Ways a Baby Will Change Your Life the First Year
With its realistic portrayal of the many ways that life is changed after the baby is born, Oh, Baby offers practical advice and sensitive know-how to help you survive — and even thrive! — in the first year.
It’s Twins! Parent-to-Parent Advice from Infancy Through Adolescence
In It’s Twins, parents of multiples tackle the important questions on raising twins of any age with plenty of tips, tales, tricks-of-the-trade, trivia and more.
Boosting Your Baby’s Brain Power
http://tinyurl.com/5u3twx

Oh, Baby! 7 Ways a Baby Will Change Your Life the First Year
http://tinyurl.com/57bzqw

It’s Twins! Parent-to-Parent Advice from Infancy Through Adolescence
http://tinyurl.com/6fkr8n

MAY I SEE YOUR HAND? Palm Reading for Fun and Profit
A How-To book for Asian Palmistry
All the information everyone needs to go forward with a soul mate or to learn how to find theirs.  Also 46 short stories from soul mate palm reading clients.

SOUL MATE CONNECTIONS
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Relationships, Love, Romance and Soul Mates

DIARY OF A PALM READER
Palm Reading Sessions from 1956 to 2003
Myrna Lou Goldbaum
Palmist/Psychic/ Author
www.myrnaloupalmistry.com

www.soulmateconnecitions.blogspot.com
Myrna Lou Goldbaum
PO Box 19081
Boulder CO 80308

Healing the Shadow
An in-depth look into the human shadow, how it affects us and how to heal it.
Truth A book for the advanced spiritual seeker providing a host of helpful techniques and insights.
Journey to Enlightenment
A contemporary view into the transformational process called life.
Ross Bishop
Shaman
201 Jefferson Drive, Palmyra, VA 22963-2325
(434) 589-3902
web site: www.rossbishop.com

blog: http://rossbishop.com/blog/

OWEN FIDDLER (Sing along to the tune of the Beatles’ “Nowhere Man”)
Has a selfish point of view, why he’s such a fool, no clue. Isn’t he a bit like me and you?
Owen, man, please listen. You don’t know what you’re missing. Owen, man, your world is at your command!
He’s no role model for you or your kids, but reading his story will learn ya a thing or two, and that’s a fact. This is an entertaining, thought-provoking, humorous and spiritually insightful book which will surely have you thinking about your own life. Hey you – yeah, you! Do you like to dance? Don’t forget to pay the fiddler!
www.owenfiddler.com

Title/Author: “Meet Your True Self through Meditation” by Swami Shyam

Description: A view of the Self through the eyes of the enlightened being.
Reading this book transforms one’s consciousness into the state of
meditation and knowledge of the Self as the free Space. Written in an
engaging and intimate style, the text explains what to expect from
meditation with a gentle explanation of the practice, and includes
anecdotes; a clear description of the meaning of the super state of
consciousness; references to the Bhagavad Gita; and the technique of
meditation that anyone can follow.
Available at: http://www.shyamswisdom.com/books/

Juliana by Adelle Laudan
Juliana’s healing journey after an abusive marriage.
http://adellelaudan.com

http://www.forbiddenpublications.com/book_pages/juliana.html

Title: In Silence, Discovering Self through Meditation
By Jane Rosalea Booth
e-mail: janerosaleabooth@yahoo.com
www.in-silence.net
blog: http://www.janebooth.wordpress.com
ISBN: 978-1-4251-2004-7
To order: http://www.trafford.com/07-0804 or http://www.in-silence.net

A simple daily approach to meditation, ancient wisdom and inner
peace, In Silence, Discovering Self through Meditation is a guide
for exploring our inner sanctuary and reminds us to live each moment
from the natural, peaceful place where we are closest to God.

Once Upon a Time There Was You: Three Magic Secrets to Finding Your Real Self
More than just another self-help book to discover new ways to find yourself but rather a journey to the center of yourself and back out again that gives you the key to YOU and also helps you to fit it into the lock and turn it.
Contact: 310-264-5625; maia@allaboutlifecoaching.com or http://allaboutlifecoaching.com/book-by-a-life-coach

“Core of Your Business”
one line description: An empowering workbook to help you get in touch
with the core of your business. Exercises for listening and
strengthening your small business.
contact: http://www.coreofyourbusiness.com

Kaya Singer kaya@awakeningbusin ess.com 503-493-1199

Debra Oakland
Living In Courage Online
http://www.livingincourageonline.com

A Spiritual Oasis for Overcoming Life’s
Biggest Challenges
The Voice of the Muse: Answering the Call to WriteA dynamic blend of inspiration and instruction for anyone in any genre seeking to write more effortlessly, flowingly and engagingly. http://calltowrite.com

The MoonQuest: A True Fantasy-The critically acclaimed, award-winning visionary novel that will change your life. http://themoonquest.com

Beyond the Fifth Gate (Fantasy)Paperback: 244 pages . Publisher: ePress-online (September 18, 2008) ISBN-10: 1934258245 , ISBN-13: 978-1934258248,Amazon Link: http://tiny.cc/9OGbN ,Fictionwise Link: http://tiny.cc/W7B4w

Five planets visibly align in the dawn sky marking the long-awaited Kamali’s Cycle. Based on ancient prophecies, Elita’s faith carries her to the first portal where she is faced with a choice; the risk of never seeing her home again. Upon entering the first gate, there’s no turning back. Her faith quest thrusts her into a one-way race against time, before the planets move out of alignment and the gates close for another 50 years. Follow Elita on this life transforming mission to free her home world.
Windwalker (Fantasy),Paperback: 220 pages ,Publisher: epress-online (September 14, 2007) ,ISBN-10: 0977222489 ,ISBN-13: 978-0977222483,Amazon Link: http://tiny.cc/F8MKt ,Fictionwsie Link: http://tiny.cc/bPKBR
The peace-loving Stygian people trust in their ancient prophecies predicting the coming of the Arich-their savior. Paranoia and fear prompt the issuance of royal Jonnick decrees designed to thwart his coming. Midwives ordered to report the birth of any child born on a moonless night know it means death to the child. Effects of the law trickle to the present where Manelin, a social outcast, and Jalil, a lame Jonnick girl ordered to be killed at birth find themselves thrust into the midst of unfolding prophecies and a world on the verge of annihilation. www.theinkslinger.net
Bartlett’s Rule: A novel about love, patience & hope.http://shop.vanillaheartbooksandauthors.com/product.sc?categoryId=3&productId=3
Reach the author at: ChelleCordero@gmail.com

POLARIZING YOUR LIFE TOWARD PERFECTION, Philip F. Harris. Alter your life and you reality and learn how to use The Law of Attraction! http://www.amazon.com/Polarizing-Your-Life-Toward-Perfection/dp/1594316619/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226238085&sr=1-1

COLLECTED MESSAGES: GUIDES FOR PERSONAL TRANSFORMATIOM, BOOK I AND II, Philip F. Harris. Discover tools for better health, relations, abundance, awakening and more.
JESUS TAUGHT IT, TOO: THE EARLY ROOTS OF THE LAW OF ATTRACTION, Philip F. Harris. In the top 2% of all books at Amazon since October 2007. 2nd edition now available from ALL THINGS THAT MATTER PRESS
All available from http://allthingsthatmatterpress.com

and AMAZON.COM (JUST TYPE IN THE TITLE UNDER BOOKS)

CD’S, MP3’S

“Eight and Beyond.” Title track from “Eight” CD by Dyan Garris. Part of the Spiritual Toolbox(TM),This CD is 12 tracks of music for ascension and is #8 in the now complete series of music and meditation for Automatic Chakra Balance(TM), relaxation, help in sleeping, and vibrational attunement of mind, body, and spirit.

“Elements of Grace.” An MP3 from the recently released “Eight” CD by Dyan Garris. Part of the Spiritual Toolbox(TM),This CD is 12 tracks of music for ascension and is #8 in the now complete series of music and meditation for Automatic Chakra Balance(TM), relaxation, help in sleeping, and vibrational attunement of mind, body, and spirit.

DVD’s by Gurutej go to www.gurutej.com

to purchase
1. Awakening the Intuition for Women: Our Intuition is our link to the source of all creativity. Loosing this gift is one of our biggest losses, it is losing the inner voice of our soul.
2.Mental Clarity; Would you like to be more clear, alert and present in the moment? If yes, this is you new best friend.
3.Strengthening the Immune System: Stress compromises our immune system and today we all need help to uncompromising it.
This is the support for your immune system that is always available to you.
4. Kundalini Yoga for Balanced Chakras: Your energy centers are crucial to every part of your life. This will help you have a balanced life. Try it.
Gurutej
www.theenergygurus.com

www.gurutej.com

“A Journey Within Meditation — Introductory Guided Meditation” by Diane Brandon
An introductory Guided Meditation recorded by Diane Brandon, Integrative Intuitive Counselor, Radio Host, & Author. This meditation, almost one hour in length, allows you to experience meditation by going to a deeper level of consciousness, as well as to find your own answers within and achieve deep relaxation and relief from stress. Diane’s voice is soothing and expert, as well as adept in guiding people into deeper levels of consciousness. Available as MP3 file or CD. For more information or to order, go to either www.dianebrandon.net/products.asp

 or www.dianebrandon.com/index_files/page0176.htm. Contact Diane at diane@dianebrandon.com

Healing Methods – CD
Advanced healing methods for the spiritual seeker.
www.rossbishop.com

The Shamanic Journey – CD
The ancient shamanic journey process explained.

I visited a friend today who is struggling with endometrial cancer. She is only a few years older than my age, about 53, and she’s had a difficult life in the almost twenty years that I have known her. She is a single mother who raised five children on her own, went on to own her own farm, and made a name for herself in her small community.  Yet now, each day is a struggle, and blends from one day into the next.

As we age, we begin to be faced with our own immortality, especially when our friends and loved ones become ill and sometimes die. In this day and age it seems like there should be more that can be done for someone who always enjoyed seemingly good health, but is suddenly faced with a life-threatening illness.

At 51 I think of myself as having many years yet to enjoy a fulfilling life. Yet, some of our generation are not so fortunate. It brings to mind the question of when we are ill, does there come a certain time when we say no to any more tests and interventions? Do we want to struggle to the end, fighting and clawing to stay alive, or will we just leave the outcome in the hands of a higher power, whoever it might be that you believe in.

I’ve see both scenarios in the last ten years — struggling and fighting to the end, demanding the latest tests and drugs, and I’ve also witnessed a quiet passing, letting each day unfold as it may, surrounded by family at home. This early ending to life is not something we really want to think about, but at times, it is unavoidable. Ultimately, it’s each individual’s decision as to how they want to leave this life. All we can do as friends and family is support their decisions and offer guidance along the way.

It is my pleasure to introduce you to our new guest columnist, Elaine Williams. Elaine is the author of the book “A Journey Well Taken: Life After Loss”. You can learn more about her and her book by clicking here. Elaine wrote this book after recovering from the loss of her beloved husband to cancer a few years ago. Midwest Book Review gave 5 Stars for this book. This book is a finalist in the USA Book News Best Books Awards 2008 (category: Health-Death and Dying). Her articles on loss, grief and recovery as well as other related topics have been published in various websites and eZines.

 We would also like to let you know that Elaine has graciously agreed to be a Boomer411 Trustee. That means she will be sharing her resource recommendations/website recommendations with our users on our search site. You can also get access to all her recommendations by clicking here.

So please allow me to present her maiden article on our blog…

Afraid to Talk About Dying
Elaine Williams copyright 2008
 
When my husband was diagnosed with esophagus cancer, we never talked about him dying, except in the very beginning. I think we were afraid to voice the worst scenario we could think of, him not making it through this disease. He refused to consider taking the traditional route in medicine, which was chemotherapy and radiation treatment. He told me early in his illness he was certain that the chemotherapy would kill him right away. When such a diagnosis is delivered, you begin to carry around with you a heaviness inside. When someone you care about is terminally ill, it dominates your thoughts and every waking moment. Your mind races over the different treatments and the newest drug trials, in the slim hope that things aren’t as bleak as they seem.
 
When the doctors told him he had this cancer, which essentially prevented him from eating, he wanted them to operate and take out the largest tumor at the junction of the stomach and esophagus. His doctor said it would be a major operation, where the ribs would have to be cracked open, and not one that he had the ability to perform. After more extensive testing was done, the doctors decided not to operate because they felt there was a good chance the cancer had already spread to the lymph nodes in the esophagus region. I didn’t know it then, but I guess I should have — they didn’t want to operate because they felt it was a lost cause.
 
We didn’t feel we should give up — we just knew that each human life is a cause worth fighting for. We never gave up hope that he could beat this cancer, even though it wasn’t discovered until almost last stage. I never actually asked the doctor what stage his cancer was. I believe it was an emotionally insulating factor for myself. I was afraid to know. I did so much research on alternative therapies that might help him, but I was afraid to know where traditional medicine saw him in his stage of cancer. Perhaps I was just better off that way. If I had known, perhaps that may have taken some of the fight out of both of us. We passed many milestones on our quest to heal him. To me, it wasn’t extending his life, it was attempting to heal his life and his body.
 
When someone is terminally ill, you want to preserve every moment, and that in itself becomes exhausting, though you’re not really cognizant of the toll day to day life takes on you. You want to try every avenue available to get better. I wanted my husband to visit a clinic we learned about in Mexico, where they had a good success rate of treating his type of cancer. I questioned our alternative medicine doctor about the latest therapies for cancer patients. I refused to let hope die, especially when my husband’s smaller tumors disappeared, and even when he kept losing weight. My mother said to me once, that some women might have left, but it never occurred to me. How could I ever think of leaving someone who I love when they needed me?
 
We took note of every mile marker along the way. Each step forward felt like a triumphant race to the ultimate goal, his being totally cured of cancer. I read many stories about others who had beat this devastating disease. It wasn’t until three weeks before my husband passed away, the night I had a dream, that I knew he was going to die. I’m sure many others knew right along he was going to die, but being in the thick of living this illness, it wasn’t an option for me. When I had the dream he died, I awoke and knew he was going to die. It was that simple.
 
All hope turned to despair. And still, we did not talk of him dying. Perhaps we should have, I don’t know. Perhaps he didn’t talk about his dying to spare me and my children. Perhaps he was afraid that even though I’d always been strong, maybe he didn’t want to see me break into a million tiny fragments. And I might have. I might well have broken apart, lost the emotional glue that was keeping me together in those last weeks. When hope flees, emotion and fear can break you down.
 
Some days I thought there was nothing more terrible than watching someone you love waste away from 200 lbs to ninety or so pounds. The spirit and the brightness in his eyes was undiminished, until the last eighteen hours. When you look into a loved one’s eyes and all you see is a black glassy emptiness, you know it is the end. For someone who likes to take control, and make other’s comfortable, I knew there was noting I could do. It was the most helpless I ever recall feeling in my life. The end had been written, but we never talked about the end. I think it was just too hard.

 
A Journey Well Taken: Life After Loss
http://www.ajourneywelltaken.com
A Widow’s journey through loss, grief and renewal
Midwest Book Review - 5 Stars
Finalist USA Book News Best Books Awards 2008

Last Monday we published part 1 of our interview with Jill Gilbert. Jill Gilbert is the founder and CEO of Gilbert Guide. Gilbert Guide is the leading resource on the topic of elder care or senior care. It educates, entertains and provides listings of service providers in your local area for senior care. We would also like to highlight that GilbertGuide is a Boomer411 Trustee and you can find their recommended articles here. This interview is being presented in two parts. Part 1 of this interview can be accessed here. Today we present the second and concluding part of this interview…

Boomer411: What motivated you to start GilbertGuide? How long has it been?

JG: Well, to make a long story short, I was motivated by another idea first. I began my career working in the film industry and decided it was time for a change. My parents run a cancer center in Lodi, CA, where my dad is a radiation oncologist. Their patients received excellent treatment, but they were at a loss when it came to accessing all the other, supplemental information they needed. We originally discussed building a cancer resource center to complement their practice, but when I started looking for resource books and couldn’t find anything that encompassed every category, the idea began to change. One thing you should understand is that I came from a really different background-for one thing, the film industry has amazing resource books. And for another, I didn’t know anything about senior care, and the books that I did find didn’t answer my questions. It was 2003. That’s basically when Gilbert Guide began, and almost a year later, my brother Jason joined the team, really making it a family company. Gilbert Guide started out publishing geo-centric guidebooks with comprehensive reviews of every senior care provider in the area. Before then, I’d never set foot inside a nursing home. But I learned from the ground up and surrounded myself with experts. I wouldn’t have done it any other way. It gave me a unique perspective. And since then, of course, Gilbert Guide has expanded its offerings greatly.

Boomer411: You have an impressive team that produces interesting, informative articles on a variety of topics. Can you tell our readers more about your panel of experts and the topics covered by GilbertGuide?

JG: We have a wonderful, articulate bunch of experts who write their own columns on GilbertGuide.com. The authors and the topics they write on are wide-ranging. We have an incontinence specialist, a cancer doctor who is a practicing radiation oncologist, a pharmacologist, a naturopath, a dentist whose practice focuses on geriatric dentistry, a nutritionist, two geriatric care managers, a senior move manager, a long-term care insurance specialist, a financial planner who works exclusively with the elderly, hospice experts and more. In addition to our columnists, we have select experts who contribute original articles to other areas of the site. Also, we have many readers who leave insightful questions and comments to the authors at the end of their articles, which often starts an in-depth conversation between the author and other readers, so it’s really quite an incredible collaboration. It’s very community-oriented.

Boomer411: How do you come up with the topics?

JG: Oftentimes, the topics come from our readers. They’re very vocal in letting us know what they want to learn more about. A conversation that develops in a comment thread following a particular article might pose interesting questions that expose the need for developing that topic further. Sometimes people email us asking for coverage on a certain topic. We work very closely with our contributors to help guide the topics and answer our readers’ questions. All of our experts work in some professional capacity in the senior care world, so they propose topics as well, often writing on topics their patients and clients come to them for advice on. And of course, we’re a part of the senior care industry, so we report on current trends and issues in a more journalistic vein, to keep our readers abreast of those developments.

Boomer411: What criteria should one use when trying to determine what kind of care a loved one requires?

JG: I could go on for hours and still never completely answer this question! Let me explain. Every senior, every family, every facility-and every situation is different. That’s not to say that this question is unanswerable. Of course it is-but I’m going to point you to our Care Planner to answer it! The Care Planner provides each individual with a personalized care plan tailored to their unique situation, guiding them through the process step by step, and granting them access to our supportive “how-to” tool-kits.

Boomer411: What are some of the common pitfalls and mistakes that Boomers make in choosing a care provider and/or facility?

JG: You know, the biggest-and most common-mistake that I see is that people tend to get stuck in the present and they don’t troubleshoot the future. They think, “Oh, Mom’s healthy now, and Grandma died peacefully in her sleep, and never went to the doctor a day in her life” Or something like that. But the reality is: we are all living longer, and that presents complications. Many boomers are facing the challenge of caring for an aging parent, having them move in or choosing a facility for them, in addition to simultaneously caring for a spouse and children, and working and planning for their own retirement. The best move they can make is to plan for the future and try to avoid making uninformed choices. Many families that don’t plan ahead end up having to move a parent from one facility to the next as needs change. Doing so can be extremely costly and take a heavy toll, both emotionally and physically, on the senior and the entire family. It’s worth taking the time to consider all the factors and weigh your options instead of basing decisions on what’s relevant today.

Boomer411: What are your thoughts on the ‘aging in-place’ initiative being experimented around the country?

JG: Aging in-place is what most of us want for ourselves when the time comes. A lot of people don’t realize there’s such a thing as nonmedical homecare available. It means that you can get help for your mom or dad to help them remain at home for as long as possible, giving them access to the care they need without having to move them to a facility. Home care workers can help with all kinds of everyday activities, ranging from light housekeeping, to helping an elder eat, bathe, use the toilet and so on. They can even provide medication reminders. Some simple home modifications can go a long way to help, too. And the assistive technology that’s available today-well, it’s pretty amazing! Just wait until you see what’s coming in the near future.

Aging in place is also possible in a facility. For example, if a senior lives in an assisted living community, she could potentially remain there for the rest of her life, without having to move again, even if her health status changes. Of course, all of this depends on the contractual agreement that she has with the facility. But the idea is the same: the senior remains in the residence where he or she is comfortable, obtaining the necessary care as health needs increase.

Boomer411: What is your outlook for the future of retirement communities and long-term care facilities?

JG: There has been a huge growth in these types of communities and I think the industry is trying to figure itself out. There will always be a need for them. There’s a growing trend of communities specializing in particular interests, which I believe we’ll begin to see more and more of. For example, there are university-based retirement communities and Hollywood actor communities, and of course those which are backed by religious organizations. Lately there’s been a rise in the number of LGBT-oriented communities. But I think we will start to see more “special interest” communities forming. Those will really be the most successful-common interests make for much happier residents.

Boomer411: Any closing comments, insights you would like to share with our readers?  

JG: Gilbert Guide’s goal is to ease the process of searching for senior care. It’s a big world, and you can be sure that there will be questions and issues that creep up every step of the way. When that happens, Gilbert Guide will be there to lend support, advice and information.

This concludes our interview with Jill Gilbert, founder of Gilbert Guide. Please use the links below to learn more about GilbertGuide, what they have to offer and a listing of articles recommended by GilbertGuide. 

Resources:  

Gilbert Guide profile on Boomer411 

Gilbert Guide’s article recommendations on Boomer411 

Gilbert Guide Resources

Care Planner      

Find a Provider        

Senior Housing Solutions Center   

Alzheimer’s & Dementia Solutions Center  

Care at Home Solutions Center

Partner Marketplace        http://www.gilbertguide.com/preferred-partners/