Nursing Homes: The Family's Journey

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"Your book is a treasure. I wish I had read it 5 years ago. It definitely would have made my journey easier! Appendix 2, Accessing care in Canada, and Appendix 4, the Questionnaire for viewing Nursing Homes, are invaluable. It took me months to figure those facts out for myself ... particularly the route to accessing care facilities, and the awareness that with costs based on income, they can be affordable to anyone. Most people assume that costs are prohibitive except for the wealthy, and for that reason they do not consider "care" an option for themselves. How can we make people aware of the many excellent, affordable facilities around? Public awareness, especially of Intermediate Care facilities, is important as so many seniors struggle independently, endangering their health and safety, unaware that Intermediate Care would indeed be not only suitable but also affordable for them. A number of doctors, to my knowledge, are even unaware of how the system works! Chapter 17, Difficult decisions, you presented very factually yet compassionately. It is so important to talk about the death of a loved one both before and after the event. Fear can be reduced and grief can be acknowledged. The care histories are so relevant. Hearing about others' anger, guilt and need for balance in personal life "hits home" with anyone who has had to put a loved one in care."