Testimonials
Physicians Praise "Happiness Is Growing Old at Home"
"Sooner or later, you or someone you love will need the information in Happiness Is Growing Old at Home. Maria Tadd has crafted a marvelous guide in helping our elders maintain their function and independence. This highly practical book is one of the best in this field."
— Larry Dossey, MD, author of Healing Words and The Power of Premonitions.
"Happiness Is Growing Old at Home is an invaluable resource for everyone whose parents are beginning to decline."
— Christiane Northrup, MD, Ob/Gyn physician and author of the New York Times bestsellers Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom and The Wisdom of Menopause.
"Virtually all of us will share the inevitability of aging parents and our own aging. You SHOULD READ THIS BOOK BEFORE YOU NEED IT!!! It is filled with practical and remarkably useful information. I suggest that every adult should study Maria's book and make a master condensed list of how to manage aging."
— Norm Shealy, MD, Ph.D., author, neurosurgeon, founder and first President of the American Holistic Medical Association, founder and President, Holos Institutes of Health, President Emeritus, Holos University Graduate Seminary.
What professionals in the field are saying ...
"Maria Tadd has written an excellent resource guide for both senior adults and their families. As a geriatric care manager I find that I address almost every topic covered in this book with seniors and their families. Ms. Tadd’s book covers a wide range of issues that, sooner or later, are a part of every family’s discussions. When addressing these issues, "sooner" is always better than "later". Her material is a cogent guide to each topic. If seniors or family members take time to read only one book to guide their thoughts and actions, this is the book!"
— J. William Crittenden, Geriatric Care Manager, Senior Care Management Associates, LLC, Chapel Hill, NC
"Reading this book is like having a long conversation with a friend over coffee. You will learn in detail about the experience of long-distance caregiving including lessons learned, opinions offered, and suggestions made. This thought-provoking book will prepare you to help an elder maintain a positive lifestyle in her home. The book is very comprehensive and covers most anything you might need to know. Be sure to look through the Appendix section, where the questionnaires will help you navigate and choose correctly the assistance your elder needs."
— Jeanne Martin, MSW, MTS, Ed.D., Geriatric Social Worker and Consultant, Boston, MA
"Ms. Tadd has adroitly deflected indignation suffered through her mother’s final days, transforming the energy eloquently to inform others facing similar challenges in caring for an aging parent. She offers vital, timely, and life-affirming suggestions, while alerting caregivers to avoid the pitfalls she experienced. With its holistic perspective, weaving tai chi and state-of-the art technology, this will prove to be an indispensable guide for adult children of aging parents and for professional care providers as well."
— Paula Craige, PT, Geriatric Care Manager, Chapel Hill, NC
"What a valuable book for anyone facing or currently providing care for a loved one! I can't imagine a more complete compendium of resources and of pitfalls to avoid. Filled with checklists and other guides, this book provides practical help with the important decisions that must be made. Readers will benefit from the lessons personally learned by the author and from her extensive research throughout, and after, her caregiving experiences. If you want to be prepared for, or need help with, caring for your aging parent, spouse, or other loved one, this is the book to read and use."
— Anna Niemtiz, Ph.D., Chapel Hill, NC
★★★★★ Reviews from Amazon ...
This book is a gem!
"Many who reach for this book will do so eagerly at first glance of the title because they are presently involved with a relative's eldercare concerns and want to be informed in a compassionate and meaningful way. This book indeed does that. But, my primary interest is not in that type of reader. Rather, I recommend this book to those with aging, but not yet elderly, loved ones. It is that group (to which I belong) that indeed may gain the most benefit from this book.
As a physician and only-child daughter to a 60-something single mother, it is imperative that I prepare for, rather than react to, the eventuality that my mom will need increasing assistance with a variety of daily living and medical activities. This book is my survival guide and preparedness manual! It offers practical advice that can be easily implemented by everyday people. More importantly (for me), it sets forth a mental framework for how to approach solutions to eldercare issues.
Carefully crafted to be a reference, how-to, self help, and inspirational book all-rolled-into-one, "Happiness Is Growing Old at Home" is truly a gem! I applaud the author for the extensive research she must have poured into content development for this book and for the willful audacity she had to exhibit to get it into the hands of those of us who need it!" — MDJ, MD, Durham, NC
If you have aging parents, you need this book
"This is the book I wish I had, when my mother encountered a crisis in her late 80's. Like the author of this book, I had to make dozens of frantic phone calls, and navigate my way through the maze of home-care options, legal matters, care facilities, and more. Having this wonderful book in hand would have been such a blessing.
Maria Tadd's book is a true beacon of light for anyone who has aging parents and wants to prepare for their care in advance.
Although the content of the book is centered around home-care, the information is still invaluable for anyone facing the stressful and overwhelming responsibility of having to place their parent in a care facility.
This book is eminently practical and real. There is no fluff.
It begins with assessing the home as a suitable place for an aging parent, with numerous suggestions as to safety, costs of home-care versus care in a facility, and how to adroitly and compassionately discuss care issues BEFORE a situation becomes critical.
There is even a fascinating chapter on how a care-giver can use natural methods such as nutrition, gentle exercise, as well as herbs and supplements to promote an aging parent's health and fitness for as long as possible.
One of the most interesting portions of the book deals with leading-edge technological inventions, such as passive monitoring devices and even robots which can make an aging person's life at home much safer and more manageable at a very moderate cost.
All in all, pretty much everything a caregiver will need to know about providing care for an aging parent is covered in this book. As a tremendous timesaver, the author has provided numerous questionnaires which can be copied and then filled out when screening in-home caregivers or care facilities. There are even daily schedule charts which can be completed to ensure the aging person lives each day safely and comfortably.
In short, this book has it all.
Unlike some other books on this topic which are written in a somewhat cold and clinical style, Maria Tadd's book radiates warmth and compassion, while being meticulously researched. Much of the book weaves the author's personal narrative in caring for her 95 year old mother with the factual information which she discovered along the way. It makes for an easily readable tone which inspires as well as informs.
As a matter of personal disclosure, I know the author personally, and was able to witness much of the process of her ongoing Odyssey in caring for her mother. One thing is for certain, the author totally"walks her talk" and her book is based totally on her real-life experience.
If you have an aging parent who may need care in the near future, I would most highly recommend this book. It is so much better to be equipped in advance than to face the stress of a crisis unprepared." — PG, Fairview, NC
Essential for a person compassionately caring for an aging parent
"My mother is 88, living at home and has just begun to be frail enough to require care at home. She definitely does not want to be in a facility anytime soon. This book is a cornucopia of resources. The author provides abundant web-sites to keep me up to date on everything from providing a safe environment for my mother to legal resources.
This book is helping me be more confident in my choices of in-home care and provided important questions to ask the agency. The questionnaires provided are thorough and thoughtful.
I thought this book to be well-researched with first-hand knowledge. The author's teaching story of her mother's final years was touching and [heartfelt]. I would recommend this book to anyone with an aging parent." — Observer, Chapel Hill, NC
I bought 11 copies to give to friends!
"This is a very timely, informative resource. As my mother gets older, I have found that my siblings and I are needed more often to help her make decisions and to accompany her to medical appointments. Maria Tadd's book has arrived on the scene at a perfect time for me, my siblings, and other friends who find themselves becoming their parents' primary source of support. I bought 11 copies of Happiness Is Growing Old at Home to give as gifts this holiday season!" — KN, NC
An invaluable resource
"Maria Tadd's book is an invaluable compendium for anyone who has parents. Her hard-won knowledge will benefit anyone facing the challenges of an aging loved one, and a system not well-designed to meet their needs. Maria's thorough and thoughtful analysis of those challenges take much of the anxiety out of the process. This book will bring some peace to those helping a parent navigate through their last years with grace and dignity." — MCM, Seattle, WA