28 Home Remodeling Tips to Make Your Home More Senior Friendly!

Even as a young girl who had just awakened from a crazy dream, Dorothy of The Wizard of Oz knew - “There’s no place like home.” Our homes are where we find warmth, security and the comfort of familiar surroundings. While today’s seniors are fortunate to have so many housing and care options available to them, for some, nothing will ever equal living in the home they've been living in for many years. While senior communities and assisted living facilities are perfect choices for some seniors, other prefer to remain in their own homes when facing the challenges of aging and illness. The problem with the latter being a viable option is that, in many cases, people are not able to stay in their homes because they are physically unsupportive environments that lack the necessary design features to ensure safety and accessibility.

It is for this reason, that many baby boomers and beyond are beginning to plan and incorporate various home modifications into their homes. Many are making modifications to their homes so that as they grow older, it will allow them to function independently and safely in their homes for a longer period of time. How well and long you live in your current home will really depend on how well you adapt and remodel it now.

"The art of life is a constant readjustment to our surroundings." ~ K. Okakaura

When you start to consider a home modification plan, there are three main areas of improvement you should consider to make your home a safer environment: (i) Safety, (ii) Lighting, and (iii) Accessibility.

Safety Modifications

By far, the biggest concern for seniors is falling down. Nine out of ten broken hips are the result of falls; therefore, implementing safety and prevention measures are a must. After all, a broken hip usually buys you a first-class ticket to the nursing home which results in the immediate loss of your independence. Modifications made to prevent falls are easy and probably the most important ones you can make. Some of these are listed below.

1. Replace all bathroom tubs with shower stalls complete with molded or pull-down seats because nothing is more dangerous than trying to get in and out of a slippery tub. The shower stall floor should incorporate non-skid strips or slip-resistant tiles for fall prevention;
2. Install grab bars in the shower stalls; you may even consider a floor-to-ceiling safety pole in the shower stall for additional safety and ease of use;
3. Install hand-held showerhead;
4. Install grab bars around all toilet areas;
5. Install raised toilet seats making it easier for an aging adult to get on and off the toilet;
6. Install handrails on both sides of the stairs for better support;
7. Consider installing floor-to-ceiling support poles near beds, favorite chairs and toilets to help ease transfer on and off;
8. Replace carpeting and tile flooring with non-slip/skid type flooring. They should be tight and firm to walk on, helping to prevent falls and providing ing an easy walking environment;
9. Install non-skid rubber strips on the edge of stairs to help prevent falls, Carpet-free stairs are typically safer;
10. If possible, eliminate all stairs from your home’s design;
11. Install anti-scald devices on faucets and showerheads;
12. Review accessibility of electrical outlets to reduce the need for dangerous extension cords.

Lighting Modifications

As we get older, we need two to three times more light than we needed when we were younger. Proper lighting and visibility is also an important safety measure as well to help prevent falls. Here are some ideas to help improve lighting and visibility in your home:

1. Review your home’s lighting to make sure you have sufficient, even lighting throughout and add additional lighting, if needed;
2. Review and assess the placement of all of your light switches. Make sure light switches are located close to room entrances and at the top and bottom of stairways;
3. Install lighted switch plates so you’ll always be able to easily locate the switch at night;
4. Install lights inside closets and cabinets;
5. Install under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen;
6. Install motion-sensor exterior lighting;
7. Make sure you use high watt light bulbs in stairways and other hazardous areas;
8. Consider installing design features that increase the amount of natural light in your home. Research has proven that daily exposure to natural light can support and nurture a person’s health and well-being. This can be accomplished by adding a skylight, more windows, or maybe converting one of your first floor rooms into a sun room?

Accessibility Modifications

These are design considerations that will help improve accessibility and make your home easier to live in as you age in place.

1. Locate countertops, cabinets and shelving to lower heights for easier access. As we grow older, these lower levels willth make things easier to reach as our mobility, balance, reach and range of motion declines;
2. Convert kitchen cabinets into drawers to hold pots and pans for easier access;
3. Replace door knobs with lever handles. As we age, it is much easier to operate a lever than a door knob;
4. Install lever-handle faucets in kitchen and bathrooms;
5. Locate windows at lower levels so you can see the ground from a couch, chair or bed. Why not enjoy the view of the outdoors while seated?
6. Consider increasing door opening sizes from the basic 29 to 30 inches to as much as 36 to 42 inches to allow a wheelchair to freely navigate the home. The installation of pocket doors to replace regular doors may give you the width you desire;
7. Install a permanent or portable wheelchair ramp;
8. Install a stair chair lift.

While the following are just a few ideas and modifications that can help you remain independent and in your home for a longer period of time, there are so many others that will be specific to your home and needs. Once you have begun your plan you should contact a home modification specialist who can give you many more aesthetic and functional ideas to accommodate your person needs.

Mike Campbell is the author of a new book called "When Mom and Dad Need Help" (May 2010) which helps the adult child work together with the aging parent to begin planning the very best solution to senior care. Mike has been an advisor to the senior housing and care industry for over 18 years. Campbell now wants to share the knowledge he’s gained over the years and become a dedicated consumer advocate for those families looking to find quality long-term care options for their loved ones by educating them and giving them a plan. For more on the author and how to order the book, go to http://www.iffenwen.com/. You can order the book toll-free at 1.800.345.6665. The book is also available on Amazon.com.

Have "The Talk" With Your Parents Today!

It’s hard to imagine our parents as less than self-sufficient. Sitting down and talking with them about their future long-term care needs is an even more agonizing thought. Let’s face it; most of us would rather bury our heads in the sand than discuss this subject with our parents. When a difficult situation like this arises, I’m reminded of the TV commercial that depicts a man in overalls expressing his displeasure at dealing with a car salesman by bellowing, in a Southern drawl, “I’d rather be pecked to death by a duck!” When it came to approaching my mom about her future senior housing and care needs, this was my sentiment exactly!

It’s time for a reality check, folks. Based on discussions with hundreds of adult children who’ve gone through this ordeal, talking openly with your parents about their needs for long-term care, and planning for the inevitable before it becomes absolutely necessary, is much better than dealing with it on your own later. Helping your parents prepare for their future housing and care needs will go a long way toward eliminating any future guilt. The secret is in getting started. The small amount of pain you experience talking about it now will go a long way toward eliminating the pain and guilt you’ll experience later if you don’t.

You’ve undoubtedly thought: I never want to be a burden to my children when the time comes that I need care. Well, your parents feel exactly the same way. Research has proven that this is so. The time to talk with your parents about their future housing and care needs is now, while they’re in reasonably good physical and mental health. All of your parents’ children should be involved in the discussion. Decisions reached as a group are vitally important because the decision will not only affect your parents, but also each member of the family. Group decisions are more likely to be successful than unilateral decisions. Even if some of your siblings can’t attend a meeting, keep them informed of any decisions made, preferably in writing. It would be unfortunate if one of your siblings were unaware of your parents’ wishes for housing and care, later resulting in a disagreement over what your parents’ wishes really were. Obviously, the final decision is going to reside with your parents as long as they’re mentally capable. If your parents are still capable of being involved in the decision-making, their participation makes the entire process much easier.

A wise man once said, “Every battle is won before it’s fought.” This could not be more applicable than with senior housing and care planning. Let me give you an example. Last year, my friend’s mother died suddenly. Her father had developed Alzheimer’s disease about four years ago and was requiring assistance with several activities of daily living. Her mother was caring for, and tending to her husband’s needs from their home of fifty years. When her mother suddenly died, she and her brother could not agree on what type of housing and care would be best for their dad. It was a very unpleasant experience for both her and her brother. The “guilt factor” was something that played on both of their minds. She told me that she wished they could have sat down earlier with their dad before he developed Alzheimer’s disease and discussed what his wishes would have been in this situation. It would’ve made the decision to move him into an Alzheimer’s/dementia care community a much easier one.

How do I Broach the Subject?

I’ll give you four great tips to having “The Talk” with your parents:

1. Be honest and direct with your parents - Ask your parents’ permission to discuss the topic with them. A couple of good examples to open with: “I’d like to talk with you about how you’d like to be cared for if you got really sick and were unable to care for yourself anymore. Is that okay?” Or, “If you ever got really sick, I’d be afraid of not knowing what kind of care you’d prefer. Could we talk about this now? I’d feel better if we did.”

2. Be a good listener – As my grandmother used to say, “God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason.” Hear what your parents are saying without interrupting, giving your opinion, or telling them what to do. Rather than offer advice, let them work things out for themselves as they talk. As a good listener, you can help your parents explore their situation by asking them open-ended, non-threatening questions like “What specifically concerns you about moving into a retirement community Mom?” or “How do you feel about this Dad?”

3. Take advantage of opportunities that may arise to help break the ice - For example, a perfect opportunity to discuss your parents’ future housing and care needs would be when one of their friends or family members suffers a traumatic event that requires them to consider senior housing, care or assistance. Bring up some “What if?” scenarios: What if Mom couldn’t get up and down the stairs anymore like Mrs. Smith? What if Dad couldn’t drive anymore like Mr. Jones? What if both of you suddenly needed help with certain activities of daily living? What would your wishes be if you could no longer live at home without assistance? Are you aware of the different housing and care options? Have you thought about how you’ll pay for such housing and care? Tell your parents how much you love them and how you’re willing to work with them together to find answers to these tough questions.

4. Never make promises – This is probably the most important tip of all! Never make promises to your parents such as “We’ll never put you in a nursing home” or “You can always come and live with us, we’ll take care of you.” Circumstances change over time, and what may seem like the best solution now may not be the best solution years from now. Unfulfilled promises can only result in extreme guilt, anxiety, and pain.

Remember---The open communication you have with your parents today will be the “key” to your caregiving experience tomorrow. This initial communication is the all-important first step that will allow you the freedom to have further conversations with parents about the subject; and, these initial conversations will hopefully result in both of you researching and developing your own individual plans for handling those future long-term care needs.

How am I going to pay for my future long-term care needs?

One of the concerns we all have is how in the world we’re going to pay for our future long-term care needs. Qualifying financially is probably going to be the single biggest obstacle for most families. Most people still think their regular health insurance or Medicare is going to cover the cost of their long-term care. This is just not the case. Neither of these covers long-term care. Today, to get the care they need, most seniors have no option but to spend down their hard-earned retirement savings to near zero and then turn to the state and federally funded Medicaid program for assistance. The problem with this is, once you start depending on the government to pay for your housing and care needs, you lose the freedom to decide where you’ll be housed and cared for.

Not only does this affect your parent’s financial condition, it may affect your own. It is estimated that over 40% of adult children caring for their aging parents are providing them with some degree of financial support. Adult child caregivers are spending their retirement savings and vacation funds to help Mom and Dad get the quality care they need.

This is precisely why I believe, looking forward, private long-term care insurance MUST play a vital role in funding the care for our growing aging population. If you have the financial means, I would highly recommend you invest in a private, long-term care insurance policy. Long-term care insurance gives you the financial freedom to choose from a lot more housing and care options that you would otherwise not be able to afford without it. It’s a valuable investment that brings long-term prosperity by preserving your assets and protecting you and your spouse from impoverishment should one or both of you require long-term care. If you can afford it, do your part, and leave the dollars allocated to the state and federally funded Medicaid program to the lower-income Americans who really need it.

We Need to Transition from “Caregiver 911” to “Caregiver 101”

We, as a nation, need to transition ourselves from a “Caregiver 911” scenario to a “Caregiver 101” scenario. It seems ‘the formula’ these days is to wait until we, or our parents, suffer some traumatic event, or “wake-up call”, that leaves us very little time to make some very important and gut-wrenching decisions. As our parents lie in a hospital bed, recovering from whatever led them to needing long-term care, we typically end up running around, as if our hair was on fire, trying to desperately find a quality care option that will meet Mom or Dad’s needs--- yet we really don’t know where to begin or what to look for! Sound like fun? No? Then let’s do something about it! We all need to educate ourselves about the process now before Mom and Dad need help.

Help Me Spread the Word!

My life’s mission is to inspire everyone to open up and have these tough conversations with their parents today. In fact, I suggest these conversations be conducted across all generations (i.e., you should have these talks with your children as well). Let’s all do our civic duty and spread the word to anyone who will listen. Tell people you care about! Tell people you don’t care about! Everyone needs to know about what lies ahead and what steps can be taken to make this process as painless as possible. Open communication is extremely vital to planning for the future.

We all can become the best care advocate for our loved ones by:

1. Talking with our loved ones today about their future care needs while they are still healthy;

2. Educating ourselves about all the long-term care options available in the market; and

3. Making sure we have a sound financial plan to pay for such care.

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Mike Campbell is the author of a new book called "When Mom and Dad Need Help" (May 2010) which helps the adult child work together with the aging parent to begin planning the very best solution to senior care. Mike has been an advisor to the senior housing and care industry for over 18 years. Campbell now wants to share the knowledge he’s gained over the years and become a dedicated consumer advocate for those families looking to find quality long-term care options for their loved ones by educating them and giving them a plan. For more on the author and how to order the book, go to http://www.iffenwen.com/.

Book Review of When Mom and Dad Need Help from May/June 2010 issue of ForeWord Magazine:



When Mom and Dad Need Help
Michael C. Campbell
Iffenwen Publishing Company
Softcover $24.95 (344pp)
978-0-9742984-0-5






Everyone dreads certain conversations: talking to your girlfriend’s father about marrying her, explaining the birds and the bees to your children, and telling your parents that you think they need to consider senior housing and care. However, the latter discussion doesn’t have to be quite so difficult. In When Mom and Dad Need Help, Michael C. Campbell, consultant to the senior housing and care industry, explains how to bring up the issues of parental care and how to sort through the options to make a wise choice.

In this immensely practical book, Campbell sorts through every option for senior care, from independent living communities to continuing care facilities and hospice programs. For each, the pros and cons, the cost, what to look for in a facility, credentialing and oversight, and questions to ask before signing any contracts are all discussed. Campbell’s advice covers the basics, yet he is unafraid to delve into that which is complex. For example, he explains the specific architectural design needs of Alzheimer patients, saying, “Such design features include continuous/circular hallways with certain patterns, colors, and distinct visual clues; enclosed outdoor patio, even lighting throughout the building or wing…line-of-sight bathrooms, closets, and refrigerators.” Campbell also provides information on hiring independent caretakers and nurses, including how to conduct background checks and what interview questions to ask.

An included CD-ROM provides forms and questionnaires to complete when interviewing, researching, and touring facilities and programs. The book also includes useful advice on how to bring up the issue of senior care with one’s parents, which family members should be involved in decision-making, and who should have the final say.

Campbell writes with sensitivity and compassion, revealing an understanding of the concerns and issues involved in selecting care for seniors. Hundreds of visits to senior housing and care communities have given him the insider insights necessary to making difficult life decisions.

Anyone and everyone close to an older family member should read this book. Decisions regarding senior care are extremely difficult to make under pressure or when the person concerned is unable to share his or her wishes. Reading through this book and discussing it together provides a simple, loving, and gentle way to begin planning the very best solution to senior care. The book presents information in an easy-to-understand way that always feels caring, encouraging, and hopeful. And for a book mainly intended to pass along straight facts and advice, it is an enjoyable read as well.

- Diane Gardner, ForeWord Reviews (May 2010)

When Mom and Dad Need Help was officially released on May 18, 2010. To order the book online, you may go to www.iffenwen.com. It is also available on Amazon at www.amazon.com or you can order toll-free at 1-800-345-6665.

When Mom and Dad Need Help is officially released to the public!

I'd like to thank everyone who attended the party to celebrate the release of my new book, When Mom and Dad Need Help. Around 135 people showed up at Wilbert's Food & Music in downtown Cleveland on May 14, 2010 to take in some great atmosphere, food, drink, music, and conversation. I was both proud and delighted to share this moment with each and every one of you. I truly appreciate your support!

I would like to quickly share something very special that happened that evening that only a few people know about. My three beautiful daughters--Danielle (15), Nicole (11) and Christy (7) attended the party and were of great help to me at the book table. They would take everyone's name, check them off the list, hand them their book along with a free raffle ticket for their chance to win some great door prizes and then they would send them on down the line to me. It was kind of a frantic time for me and they helped me out in a big way!

"Kind of frantic" included my friend Pat Dinizio of the Smithereens calling me the day before the party and having to cancel his appearance. Not without good reason though. His dad had suffered congestive heart failure on Wednesday night and was listed in critical condition in the hospital so Pat could not leave the New Jersey area for fear of the worst. Our prayers are with Pat's Dad and we hope he makes a quick recovery!

After many phone calls and several panic attacks, Michael Miller, the owner of Wilberts, called me on Friday afternoon (at around 3:30pm) to tell me he'd found an acoustic guitar player to fill in by the name of Will Cheshier. Will did a fantastic job filling in and I appreciated both his talent and effort because he had to step in and fill some pretty big shoes that night. Bravo Will! Bravo!

Anyhow, it was later in the evening --- after all the books had been handed out, when I was making my way through the crowd, that I noticed my youngest daughter Christy sitting down, writing at one of the tables. I was about the go over and see what she was doing when I was suddenly pulled in another direction and I never got a chance to see what she was writing.

Anyhow, a short time later, it was time for Diane and I to get up and thank everyone for attending the party as well as acknowledge some of the great people who had made a contribution to the book in some way, shape or form. I also thanked my wife Diane for all her love and support throughout the whole process and acknowledged my three lovely daughters as well. I am so proud of each and everyone one of them. They know how much I love them. After Diane and I exited the stage, all of my daughters came up and gave me a big hug and brought out a big cake which was made in the shape and design of the book cover! Amongst all the the noise and commotion, my youngest daughter Christy came up to me, grabbed my arm and tugged it downward several times to get my attention. I looked down and she said "Daddy, this is for you" and handed me the three index cards that I've included below.

It's notes like these that make EVERYTHING worthwhile....EVERYTHING. What a special night! I just wanted to share this moment with everyone because it meant a lot to me. I thank God for my family and friends. Much love and thanks to all of you for making this a great night.

As the John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote many years ago:

"There's nothing you can do that can't be done...it's easy...

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE. "

This is so true.


Mike Campbell is the author of a new book called "When Mom and Dad Need Help" which was officially released on May 18, 2010. For more info on him and his new book, go to http://www.iffenwen.com/.

Healthcare Reform: How Will it Affect our Seniors?

There has been so much talk and heated debate about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that was signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010, that I think we need to break it down and talk about how this new law is going to affect America's largest growing demographic group going forward, our seniors.

Considering the economic turmoil America is already facing these days, the aging of America is going to be one of the biggest economic and social concerns this country will face over the next 20 years. When the 78 million members of the "Baby Boomer" generation, the largest population group in the history of the United States, begin to retire in 2010, it is estimated that one in five Americans will be 65 years of age or older by 2020. How are we going to care for all these people? And how in the world are we going to pay for it? More and more families across America are dealing with these difficult decisions everyday. How we prepare for this unprecedented change today will determine the quality of life we all enjoy tomorrow.

Facing this great challenge, let's look at how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act addresses the enormous future care needs of our seniors. The new law, with its much talked about voluminous size, coming in at 2,000+ pages has made Americans uneasy---especially our seniors, who kept hearing the words "cuts" and "Medicare" in the same sentence during the heated public debate that took place all over America. While the new law is far from perfect, it does take some steps to improve the lives of our growing senior population. Let's take a look at some of these below.

• Reduces the prescription Medicare "donut hole" for our seniors - I know what you're thinking: "What is this donut hole that everybody has been talking about? Everybody loves donuts, right? So what's the problem?" Well this donut isn't covered with sprinkles. In fact, its costing our seniors a bundle. The donut hole, or coverage gap, is one of the most controversial parts of the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit and is a major concern for many seniors who've joined the Part D drug plan. Let me break it down financially so you can get a better understanding: In 2010, the donut hole or coverage gap starts after the senior's prescription drug costs, including their own deductibles ($310) and co-pays (25%), reach $2,830. After the senior reaches this threshold, they are in the donut hole and must pay the full cost of their prescription drugs until their total out-of-pocket costs reach $4,550. At this point, the catastrophic coverage kicks in and Medicare once again begins covering their costs (with a 25% co-pay). The new healthcare law provides seniors who fall in the donut hole in 2010 with a $250 rebate. Beginning in 2011, seniors will receive a 50% discount on prescription drugs when they fall into the donut hole, and by 2020, the donut hole will be completed eliminated.


• Increased Medicare coverage for preventive services - In 2011, seniors will not have to pay co-pays for annual checkups or other preventive visits including mammograms and colonoscopies.


• The enactment of the CLASS Act helps seniors pay for long-term care services - The CLASS Act is a public, voluntary long-term care insurance program that will help seniors pay for home- and community-based services. Enrolled individuals who need assistance with activities of daily living would be eligible to receive at least $50 a day (after a five-year vesting period) to be used to defray the costs for such services as home care, family caregiver support, adult day services and various other care options. All actively working adults over age 18 can enroll, with the purpose of getting the largest risk pool possible. The law requires that in order to qualify for benefits, one must pay premiums for 5 years and must be working for at least three of those five years. The law also requires that the CLASS Act program (i) be actuarially sound, (ii) not be funded by taxes with all benefits paid from premiums collected by participants in the program, and (iii) anyone who is working can enroll in the program regardless of their health history including any preexisting condition.


• The enactment of the Nursing Home Transparency and Improvement Act - This act requires nursing homes to publicly disclose a wide array of information to consumers like staffing ratios, so families can make informed decisions about where to place their loved ones. This act helps increase the transparency and accountability of our nation's nursing homes.


• The enactment of the Elder Justice Act - This act is considered by many to be the most comprehensive legislation to combat the abuse, neglect and exploitation of our elderly population. It requires the reporting of neglect and abuse in long-term care facilities. This legislation will provide crucial help for a problem that will undoubtedly become more prevalent as our baby boomers grow older.


• The enactment of the Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act - This act provides for a national program of criminal background checks on workers who provide long-term care services in facilities and private homes. The program would add a federal component to the background check process by screening applicants against the FBI's national database of criminal history records. This will help prevent applicants with a history of substantial abuse or a violent criminal record from obtaining jobs serving our aging population.


• Federal grants to be provided for enhanced geriatric training - The shortage of properly trained direct care staff for our seniors has been a problem for many years now. This has prevented many of our seniors from receiving the quality care they deserve. Better training means better care for our seniors in a variety of settings.


• Encourages doctors to coordinate care and improve quality - The healthcare law creates new incentives for providers to work together to better serve their patients and eliminate repetitive and wasteful care.


• Bring savings to Medicare by eliminating wasteful overpayments to Medicare Advantage Plans - This is where the "cuts" in Medicare take place. This is the part of the healthcare law that made our seniors very "uneasy." It shouldn't make them nervous at all. Let me explain why by providing a little history. Medicare Advantage plans were created with the passage of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 enabled Medicare beneficiaries to receive a portion of their coverage from private health insurers. These plans were created in an effort to cut costs, at first, by allowing seniors to enroll in privately run managed care systems, like HMOs, which was, at the time, the big new answer in the private sector to cutting healthcare costs. Initially, Congress offered private insurance companies a bit less than the average Medicare patient received on a per year basis. Insurance companies offered free perks like free gym memberships to attract younger, healthier, cheaper-to-insure patients. They saved money too by offering cheaper preventive care and using their size and bargaining power (just like big HMOs do) to obtain cheaper medical care from providers. The circumstances certainly have changed over the past decade. Medicare Advantage plans have transformed themselves from a cheaper-than-regular Medicare cost savings plan to a 14% more-than-regular Medicare boondoggle. It's been popular with seniors, of course, because they like the free gym memberships and the way they cover their prescription drug co-pays, but it is costing us all an extra 14% more than it would cost to cover them under the regular fee-for-service Medicare plan. All of that 14%, and a bit more, has gone to pay for insurance company bureaucratic overhead and profits, including money for lobbyists to contribute to Congresspersons who, in turn, vote to allocate more federal funds to Medicare Advantage. It's become a win for healthy seniors, a win for the insurance industry, but a big loser for the American taxpayer. The new healthcare law cuts this 14% subsidy to Medicare Advantage plans so the insurance companies that run these plans will either have to get back to where they started, and use managed-care principles to save money, or get out of the business.

The new healthcare legislation is not going to meet every American's wants and needs. Most bills that make it to the President's desk don't. For example, the CLASS Act's $50 per day benefit will only cover a small portion of the $75,000+ annual costs most Americans pay right now for in-home care. Obviously, people who want to protect their savings will need to purchase private long-term care insurance to supplement their CLASS Act benefit. In fact, I believe that personal responsibility and private long-term care insurance must play a major role in order for America to survive the even more looming budget crisis that lies ahead with 78 million baby boomers entering retirement age this year. Think about the numbers. Again, how in the world are we going to care for all these people?

As is the case with many bills that are signed into law these days, you'll find a lot of "pork" and "handouts" in it, which is extremely frustrating; however, as you can see from the list above, there are a lot of positives in the new law as well. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is not perfect but it does make progress. Let's just say the law is an important first step toward meeting the tremendous future needs of our growing aging population. The new law has enacted legislation to better serve and protect our senior population from abuse as well as enact programs that are estimated to extend the solvency of the Medicare Trust Fund by 9 years to 2026. This is a start...but more must be done.

Mike Campbell is the author of a new book called "When Mom and Dad Need Help" which will be officially released in May 2010. For more info on him and his new book, go to www.iffenwen.com.

Caring for your Aging Parents: What are you Going to Do?

One of the most difficult and emotionally trying decisions that adult children face today is how they're going to care for their aging parents once they're unable to care for themselves. The realization that parents need care is usually precipitated by some traumatic event that leaves the adult child very little time to a make some very important decisions. In most cases, the children are left to make these gut-wrenching, life-changing decisions on their own without much information available to them.

Considering the economic turmoil America is already facing these days, the aging of America is going to be one of the biggest economic and social concerns this country will face over the next 20 years. When the 78 million members of the "Baby Boomer" generation, the largest population group in the history of the United States, begin to retire in 2010, it is estimated that one in five Americans will be 65 years of age or older by 2020. How are we going to care for all these people? And how in the world are we going to pay for it? More and more families across America are dealing with these difficult decisions every day. How we prepare for this unprecedented change today will determine the quality we all enjoy tomorrow.

Researchers are now saying that each of us has a 90% chance of someday caring for our parents, grandparents or other loved ones. Of all the research I've read, I believe this statistic is the most revealing of all.

What are you going to do?

People are incredibly afraid of this subject. Most of this anxiety is created by the fear of the unknown. Knowing what to expect is half the battle. With the release of my new book "When Mom and Dad Need Help", which will be officially released on May 18, 2010, and the use of this blog, my hope is educate as many people as I can about how to plan and prepare for their parents' future long-term care needs.

Please stayed tuned as I will be posting at least twice a week to this blog with relevant content. Please feel free to comment and ask questions and I will try my best to get back to you with a response.

Very truly yours,
Mike Campbell
http://www.iffenwen.com/