Today an estimated 30 million Americans are struggling with the healthcare issues of elderly parents - many of them from far away. How can we be sure our parents are being well cared for, how can we protect them from abuse? In Is Your Parent in Good Hands? attorney Edward Carnot offers sound practical advice on these troubling issues - based on his personal and professional experience.. He tells the compelling story of his own battle against the unscrupulous caregiver of his elderly father, the inability of the legal system to protect him, and the resulting chaos that turned his family inside out and ultimately threatened the dignity and independence his father so tenaciously clung to. Though his story has a sad ending, Carnot discovered much that can help others in their quest to protect their aging loved ones. Now he offers expert advice for both recognizing financial exploitation and abuse and the many ways abuse can be prevented. Each chapter includes easy-to-understand vital information on topics ranging from the need for legal documents, such as power of attorney for healthcare and living wills; guardianships, working with officials, police, and the district attorney; to health insurance issues, like the difference between Medicare, Medigap, and long-term care insurance, choosing a residential care facility, including how to determine whether to hire a nurse or private caregiver and when to use an agency; recognizing depression and loneliness; the differences among mental health professionals; senior centers; estate planning issues like reverse mortgages; to planning for long-term care as a family - everything you need to care for and protect your elderly parents - from nearby or faraway. The book will help everyone who has an aging parent or close relative because the story is compelling, the reader can easily identify with the characters, and the self-help guidelines are comprehensive, practical and immediately usable. UPCOMING AUTHOR APPEARANCES: November 13, 2003 - Jewish Community Center Book Fair, Tucson AZ November 16, 2003 - Valley of the Sun Jewish Book Fair, Scottsdale, AZ January 13, 2004 - Hadassah Woman’s Club in San Deigo March 5, 2004 - La Jolla Newcomers March 24, 2004 - California Chapter of the American Psychological Assn. Read Less