Taking responsibility for the healthcare, safety, and financial affairs of our parents as they near the end of their life is an immense undertaking and comes with challenges, logistics, and stresses that we don’t always know how to navigate. We want to provide the best care we can and make the right decisions for our parents, but we need tips, tools, and education around this and help and encouragement as we do it. The Empowered Caregiver is a pocket support guide specifically designed to provide you with strategies and solutions for caring for your aging parents. It offers useful interventions to frame your thinking, help you manage difficult situations, and reduce your stress as your parents decline and need greater assistance.
In this book, you’ll find quick ideas that you can immediately apply, easy-to-view lists, scripts to use for tough conversations, examples of questions to ask doctors and lawyers, and other resources, all rooted in author Linda Fodrini-Johnson’s deep understanding of aging and life transitions and her 30+ years as a therapist, counselor, and certified geriatric care manager. It’s organized by topic, so you can quickly flip to the information you need most, and it covers all aspects of eldercare, answering questions you didn’t even know you had with compassion and experience.
Whether you’re an adult child whose parents are aging, an eldercare beginner who doesn’t know where to start, someone who is emotionally impacted by the decline of a loved one, a family member of an elder with dementia, or someone seeking expert advice on how to handle their parents’ affairs, this book will empower you with the insights, advice, and support you need. The Empowered Caregiver is an essential companion you can keep at your side and a must-read for anyone with aging parents. You’ll learn how to improve life for your parents, your family, and yourself.
Linda Fodrini-Johnson, is an Expert in the Field of Aging. She is a Licensed Family Therapist, a Certified Geriatric Care Manager and has been in the field of Aging since 1981. She started her journey as an intern at the Department of Aging in her county, later was one of the very first Geriatric Care Managers the county hired in 1984. She later went on to continue her work in the community with the government and then an non-profit at the same time as starting and directing the very first Alzheimer's Respite programs in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1989 Linda started Eldercare Services, a full service Geriatric Care Management business with over 200 employees, with Home Care and Family Education as part of their services. In 2019 Linda sold Eldercare Services to Home Care Assistance, a National Company. Linda then went on to be the Head of National Care Management & Development for Home Care Assistancem educating both Aging Experts, Members of the Aging Life Care Association and the staff at the Home Care Assistance offices on how to collaborate to bring the highest level of care to elders and their families. Linda continues to be a consultant with Home Care Assistance. She is a consultant and coach to couples, families and individuals dealing with dilemmas from illness recovery to the journey of living with a progressive illness like Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's disease or MS. Linda also works with "Elder Orphans" those without family support. Linda does support groups, zoom lectures, community classes and professional education, as well as mentoring with other professional wanting to expand or enter the field of Geriatric Care Management. Linda is a past President of the Aging Life Care Association (ALCA) formerly known as the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers and is well respected and still active with this association. She writes blogs for ALCA and is a frequent speaker at conferences around the country. Linda is the recipient of every honor ALCA has to bestow and was honored with the Laureate award from John F. Kennedy University in 2007 for Personal Commitment & Outstanding Achievement with her work in developing a program for those in the early state of dementia. She has received numerous other awards for her service from local governments & teaching bodies. Linda is married, has three children and five grandchildren. She is an active member and Elder of Lafayette Orinda Presbyterian Church and has a passion for local and international mission work, specifically in food insecurity. She also enjoys gardening and walks with her dogs, Keely & Charlie!
