Julie Hall (1)

The first chapter begins with scenarios showing the time to step in is when your elderly parents begin to show signs of not being able to safely maintain their home. Hall promotes an ethical attitude, based on loving kindness.
Even tho I picked up this book when my mother was still competent, I didn't actually read it until after we had sold her house and moved her to a grandchild's home. I'm happy to find I have nothing to regret about how my siblings and I made decisions about her possessions: there was little of value (sentimental or monetary) that caused conflicts and we all were in agreement about donating as much as possible.
One scenario not mentioned in the book, which I find common in smaller towns, is to sell a home "as is", i.e. with included contents. The housing shortage meant we still received almost double what we expected to from the house sale. Hall often referred to people finding hidden valuables, but our father was a very practical man who took the time in his early 80's to discuss matters with at least some of his children.
However, now I have a basement full of things that "we" decided should be kept for family history. As the family genealogist I was the logical person to store the dozens of photo albums, etc. And when she moved from the grandchild's home to a nursing home there is another level of items that she had kept for personal use to be disposed of. Time to use her tips to clean out my own home.… (mere)

A book that should be required reading for anyone over twenty! "the Boomer Burden", while targeted towards the baby boomer generation, is an excellent how-to handbook for dealing with aging parents and the eventual burden of settling their estate. The book is written with the children in mind, but also includes sections targeted to the parents with open and clear advice on everything from: when and how to suggest additional home help, when and how to suggest and find alternate living facilities, actions and checklists to help both living parents and aging children prepare for the myriad details involved in settling and clearing out an estate.

This book is divided into chapters, each detailing a time or situation adult children will eventually face. The checklists are easy to follow, the advice is sound, and the suggestions for aging parents on making these actions easier for their children are priceless. Julie Hall is "The Estate Lady" and works with families to value and clear their estates. She has some funny, sad, and shocking stories about the good, the bad, and the ugly of dividing and clearing estates.

Because this is an issue 95% of adults would prefer to avoid, many are caught by surprise by the challenges and burdens we will all have to face when our parents or other close loved one dies. Reading this book certainly opened my eyes to the many details and problems around dividing an estate, even if that estate has minimal worth. It's given me the push I needed to try and simplify and organize my current affairs (even though I'm only in my mid-40s) because I realize that making that time easier on my children will be one of the most loving gifts I can provide. I fully intend to buy a copy to send to my parents too!… (mere)

My husband and I have survived the deaths of our parents, and how I wish we'd had this book to help us sort through the stuff. I'm glad that we've discovered it now, however. We will use this valuable tool with our children to plan along with us to better prepare for our passings.

This book is broken down into fifteen easy-to-read chapters with information boxes and ending with "What Do I Do Now?" checklists. At the end of the book, the author has kindly added four convenient appendixes: "Your Complete Parent Care Checklist," "Helpful Resources," "Documents and Information to Locate," and "Wish List Spreadsheet." Chock full of real life experiences and tips to help the most difficult times go more smoothly, every household could use this handy resource as a guide.… (mere)