Book Review: 5 Easy Ways to Solve the Aged Care Puzzle by Gail Miller

We recently read 5 Easy Ways to Solve the Aged Care Puzzle by Gail Miller, who happens to be a South Australian and has lived the experience of having to solve the aged care puzzle for her parents. She persisted until she was able to develop the right kind of lifestyle for her parents so that they felt safe and comfortable growing older. In this book she shares what she has learnt along the way.

The book is written for the Sandwich generation – people still looking after their offspring, helping them find their way in life, as well as looking after their parents and helping them with the care they need. Mostly these are people in their 50’s and 60’s who want help with moving through the maze of aged care options and finding the best outcomes for their loved ones.

It focusses mainly on the steps required for entering residential care. It is an easy read that brought clarity and gave me the confidence about what I needed to do now before the need arose for my mother to consider entering a nursing home, also known as residential care.

Summarising the key messages:

You, as the person tackling the difficult decisions are not alone, there is help available and there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Asking friends or people who you know have gone through is a start, but is sometimes not enough.
Start the conversation with your loved one and the rest of the family about what they would like to happen if and when they cannot speak for themselves. Make it formal through an Advanced Care Directive.
Knowing how your loved one would like you to celebrate their life at their funeral often brings peace in the knowledge that the family know what is important to them.
The complexities of aged care, whether it be for home care choices or for residential care, can be made clear when you know who to talk to.
Knowing how to access the information you need or even what questions to ask can be a minefield.
Seeking assistance before you need it gives all parties power and choice.
Asking for professional help and knowing what professionals are out there.
Getting legal advice and preparing for the future with an Enduring Power of Attorney and a Legal Will, is essential.
Nursing Home Placement Consultants are invaluable and can bring a great sense of relief to everyone involved.
Choosing an Accredited Financial Advisor before you need to make a move is essential to fully understanding the financial truth of residential care.
Knowing there are de-cluttering experts available that bring an invaluable skill.
Understand the funeral preferences.

In her book, Gail advises five key professionals to have on your team to seek advice from, to develop the best aged care plan possible:

Professional Organiser for decluttering
Professional Lawyer
Aged Care Placement Consultant (home care and residential)
Aged Care Financial Advisor
Funeral Director

We highly recommend the book, it will take about an hour to read and will save you time, frustration and unnecessary expense. You can purchase the book Solving the Aged Care Puzzle here.

Call St Louis to discuss what aged care options are available for your loved ones

The team at St Louis Aged Care will provide advice and guidance on moving through the aged care maze to get the information you need. We have a professional network that we can put you in touch with to help you prepare a future for your loved ones that helps them and you, feel secure and comfortable that all aspects of their care and lifestyle have been considered.

Accessing Home Care options advice and service from a trusted source is a great start to staving off the need for residential care.

Please contact our Client On Boarding Team for information about St Louis Home Care Packages Adelaide 08 83320950 and Victor Harbor 08 8552 1481 or if you would like more information about St Louis Nursing Home please call 08 8272 3344.

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