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CARING FOR YOUR AGED PARENTS by Earl A. & Sharon Hya Grollman Grollman

CARING FOR YOUR AGED PARENTS

By

Pub Date: May 26th, 1978
Publisher: Beacon

At first glance this looks like a poetry book--lots of white space, few words set in uneven lines. The sentences, as the authors intended, sound plain and reassuring (like some conversations), but the information on aging is slight and would fill no more than a pamphlet. The page On Taste: ""'I'm not hungry./ Besides the food tastes flat./ More salt, please.'/Because older people's sense of taste/is less acute,/they often demand more highly/seasoned foods./ But this can be dangerous if they are on a/ low-sodium or salt-free diet./ A nutritionist can help to plan/ wholesome and palatable diets."" Although the physical and emotional losses that plague the elderly are recognized and ways of helping are suggested, there are only brief characterizations of services available and a short list of national organizations to consult at the back. This lacks the thoroughness--and vitality--of, say, Bert Kruger Smith exploring nursing home alternatives (The Pursuit of Dignity, 1977) and could have included other references to more comprehensive sources. A supportive tone, then, and important general principles, but a bit too elusive for those who need solid, immediate advice.