The Elder Care Helper Guide

An authoritative, comprehensive guide to long-term care options.

About 20 years ago, when her mother had a stroke, Chercowas thrust into the role of caregiver and forced to learn about hospitals, rehabilitation, home care and hospice. That experience spawned an interest that led to a master’s degree in gerontology and a career in elder care. It also inspired her to create a website and write this book, which is essentially the print version of the site. Cherco has succeeded admirably in accomplishing her goal: to create a guidebook educating the consumer about the long-term-care marketplace. She begins with a clear, concise chapter on the fundamentals of the health care system. Next are several chapters that describe in detail the various long-term-care options, including home care, assisted living communities, nursing homes, continuing-care retirement communities and “supplemental services,” such as adult day care, hospice care and palliative care. Cherco adheres to a parallel structure, so it is particularly easy to compare the options. Every chapter except the final one begins with a real-life story about an individual or couple, followed by descriptions of the physical space, amenities, personal care services provided, a profile of who should consider this option and typical costs. The author then covers the contract, payment options, how to evaluate facilities and best practices for that type of facility. At the end of each chapter, Cherco includes detailed checklists with instructions, which allow users to compare attributes such as location, buildings, amenities, services, staffing and costs for up to three facilities. The checklists alone should prove extraordinarily valuable to consumers who want to objectively evaluate and compare long-term-care options. The text also includes a helpful glossary of terms and a selection of third-party resources. Cherco has done a masterful job of compiling indispensable details in a guide that is easy to read and understand. Caregivers and elder consumers alike should be able to use this guide as a dependable source of information.

User-oriented and pertinent; highly valuable to anyone looking to learn more about long-term care.