When the End Is Near Are you worried about what will happen when Mom and Dad can no longer care for themselves? If the whole job of caregiving falls to you, this will be your essential playbook for managing their end-of-life period. 9 Realities of Caring for an Elderly Parent covers topics from keeping your parent safe in their own home, organizing their financial records, and de-cluttering while preserving memories to the aftermath including pre-designed funerals, acting as the executor trustee of the estate, and effectively communicating with siblings and attorneys. Grief counseling for the adult orphan is the final chapter. Funny and compassionate, this is the insider’s view of what to expect from your daunting role if you are the adult child coming home to care for your elderly parent until the very end. Editorial Reviews "How to navigate every stage of senior care.… So heartfelt and palpable.”—Suzanne Pertsch, M.D., Internal Medicine “[T]he A to Zs of elder care…until the end.”—Dody Lapworth, Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse "A job well done.… [Shaffer’s] playbook for funeral design and estate management is indispensable.” —Catherine Raye-Wong, Estate Law, Aaron, Reichert, Carpol & Riffle APC “Managing finances is a critical aspect of elder care that Ms. Shaffer covers in-depth.”—Leonard A. Watson, Financial Advisor "Shaffer movingly and transparently draws the reader into this well-written, compelling book.”—Robert L. Hendren, D.O., Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco "How to navigate every stage of senior care.... So heartfelt and palpable."--Suzanne Pertsch, M.D., Internal Medicine "[T]he A to Zs of elder care...until the end."--Dody Lapworth, Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse "A job well done.... [Shaffer's] playbook for funeral design and estate management is indispensable." --Catherine Raye-Wong, Estate Law, Aaron, Reichert, Carpol & Riffle APC "Managing finances is a critical aspect of elder care that Ms. Shaffer covers in-depth."--Leonard A. Watson, Financial Advisor "Shaffer movingly and transparently draws the reader into thiswell-written, compelling book."--Robert L. Hendren, D.O., Professor andVice Chair, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, SanFrancisco "[T]he A to Zs of elder care including your essential guide tothoughtfully purging a childhood home filled with decades of clutter...the mechanics of caring for a bedbound mother, and the trials and joy ofcaring for someone until the end." --Dody Lapworth, Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse "Ms. Shaffer can feel satisfied on a job well done...Her playbook fornavigating the aftermath of death, including funeral design and estatemanagement, is indispensable." --Catherine Raye-Wong, Estate Law, Aaron, Reichert, Carpol & Riffle, APC "The decision to take on the full-time care of a parent near the end oftheir life is complicated. Ms. Shaffer movingly and transparently drawsthe reader into the complex emotions and events that accompany this...in a well-written, compelling self-help book about...before, during, and after courageously...caring for her dying, beloved mother. Reading 9 Realitiesmoved and enlightened me. --Robert L. Hendren, D.O., Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco "Very easy to read, well-written and so engaging--just a smart book! I wantedto read more. Stefania is a spot-on spokesperson for daughters andorphans whose moms have died...and for all who experience caregiving anddeath." --Stephanie Amsden, MSW, Grief Counselor and former Hospice Patient-Care Volunteer "Managing finances is a critical aspect of elder care that Ms. Shaffer coversin-depth. Relatable examples will remind you why understanding yourparent's financial picture today will save you many headaches in thefuture. For anyone struggling with where assets are held, the insightshared here will motivate you to start your road to financialpreparedness now." --Leonard Watson, Financial Advisor "According to AARP as more people live into their nineties, most of us will facecaregiving responsibilities. Forty-five million Americans are findingout that what begins as just helping out a parent can quickly turn into a full-time job. Shaffer's book reads like a novel but shows you how tonavigate every critical stage of senior care...so heartfelt and palpable. I truly enjoyed reading. Her voice is clear, her emotions genuine." --Dr. Suzanne Pertsch, M.D., Internal Medicine I left behind a successful career in corporate America to follow my heart into education.  I earned my street cred as a seventh grade English Language Arts teacher who could teach writing.  I often think of my third-grade teacher who helped me discover my writing potential - and I've never forgotten that on the path to success, there is always a teacher to thank. To learn more about my middle-grade fiction and my non-fiction for adults, or my public speaki