Age Your WayAbout the “Age Your Way” Books:

Control. We spend our whole lives trying to build systems so that we can have more control, more say-so in our lives.

We love those systems. We talk about them, and study them, and take advice from experts about them.

We build financial firewalls so we can control what happens with our money. We go to the gym, and we try to eat right so that we can have at least some control over our health and well-being.

That’s all well and good, but the evidence is in and it says that in spite of our best efforts, most of us are wholly unprepared for the eventuality that we are all likely to face at one time or another: How to maintain control when aging or injury renders us unable to effectively communicate our wishes.

In that scenario, if we are unprepared, we lose control. We cede it to strangers or perhaps family members who are left to guess at what we would like to do going forward. Moreover, they are left clueless regarding legal directives and financial resources to assist at this difficult time. It’s unfair to those people and entirely avoidable, says author Debbie Pearson in her new book Age Your Way (Family Night Press).

 

Age Your Way


age-your-way-cover-nov2016-2Age Your Way
is filled with riveting stories from her time on the front lines of health care and advocacy, some inspirational, some cautionary, but all eye opening. She takes us on a tour through a collection of individuals, some who were fully prepared, and some who, unfortunately, were not. As the reader progresses through the book the moral becomes crystal clear: No one is too young or too old to get started on making their healthcare wishes clear, and getting their legal and financial house in order.

You wouldn’t go on a trip without a plan: Tickets, agenda, a place to stay, gas in the car, reservations, maybe even some research on where you’re going. Yet, for our most mysterious and complicated journey, the one that begins with age or injury, most of us are like hitchhikers on a deserted road. We jump into a stranger’s car and, before we know it, we’re swerving around a bend toward an eighteen-wheeler and we realize our driver is drunk and the seatbelt doesn’t work, and…

Don’t be that traveler.

Endorsements:

Brent Durbin portraitBrent L. Durbin, CPA, PFS, CFP
CEO and President – Durbin Bennett Tax Advisors, Inc.

“Age Your Way” is a work of passion that shares Debbie’s wealth of experience. This book is a blueprint for guiding your family through the landmine of medical care options and minimizing the pitfalls of emotional and financial distress and expense.”

liz-armstrongLiz Armstrong
Daughter of James Armstrong.

“I just wanted to say I continue to be so impressed with the wisdom that guides this team. Thank you for your knowledge of this dance and all it takes. Thank you for the war wounds you endure that we never know of. Thank you for always having the best result as your end sight. We are lost without you.”

Don Carnes portraitDonald Carnes, Attorney
Board Certified, Estate Planning & Probate Law
Texas Board of Legal Specialization

“As a guardianship attorney, much of my work is trying to manage crises related to aging and incapacity. If you plan ahead you don’t have crises, and don’t put your family or friends in the position of having to seek drastic – and expensive – legal remedies, and having to guess at your wishes. Age Your Way is full of sound advice and is a simple, and cheap, remedy – get it for yourself, get it for your parents, and follow up with an estate planning attorney.”

H Clyde Farrell portraitH. Clyde Farrell
Senior partner of Farrell & Pak PLLC
Certified Elder Law Attorney & Certified Financial PlannerTM

“For more than 15 years, Debbie Pearson’s consulting has been essential to the work of my Elder Law firm. In many cases we will help a client plan how to pay for long-term care only after Debbie or her staff determine what care would be in the client’s best interests. Any advice from her on care management is golden, and a whole book of it is priceless.” 

 

Blueprint to Age Your Way

blueprint to age your way bookThe companion book, Blueprint to Age Your Way, is a practical godsend that serves as a welcome road map for those who may have to care for us in case we cannot care for ourselves. It leaves no stone unturned: medical, legal, functional, and financial. Spend a few minutes thumbing through and it’s obvious that Debbie drew from every minute of her 40 years in the field to put this remarkable compilation together. Take the time to follow the instructions and work through it, and someday your loved ones are sure to thank you.

The demographic data says that the timing couldn’t be more spot on for the story book, the blueprint, and Debbie’s valuable guidance. The first group of Baby Boomers born in 1946 are turning 70 this year, and there’s a growing throng. The 70 to 79-year-old age group will increase by more than 50% during the next 10 years and by more than 80% by 2035. It would be safe to say that most of these people have not taken the time to spell out their wishes in a clear and concise way. Without clarity, the strain on families and caretakers over the next decade or two is likely to become unbearable.

Control. It’s doable, and the alternative is unthinkable.

 

“Debbie’s book brings home the importance of planning for your life–not your death–no matter how young and healthy you are.  Your legal documents are important, but more important is having the hard conversations with your loved ones about what to do if the worst should happen.  Debbie guides you through the process with the love and tenderness required, but missing from other resources.”

– Alex Albright
Patient daughter

Hollys-PicHolly Tue Garcia, AEP®, CTFA
Senior Vice President
Austin Trust Company

“I have called upon Debbie Pearson and Nurses Case Management numerous times to assist my clients and their families during some of their most challenging life experiences. Nurses Case Management focuses on the individual’s overall well-being and works hard to supplement existing family support systems, which is imperative for complex cases. My client’s lives are greatly enhanced when Debbie and Nurses Case Management become part of the plan.”

jaron-winstonJaron L. Winston, MD
Board Certified Geriatric Psychiatrist
President, Senior Adult Specialty Health

“I have known Debbie for many, many years. I and my whole group have called upon her to help our older adults get the help and care they need to remain safe, functioning, and as independent as possible.  We have worked together on many a difficult case. I was very happy when she told me she was going to write about her expertise. There are not many of us that take care of seniors that can’t care for themselves.  It takes a special person and special training. I hope that others can learn from her experiences and age gracefully or help others to do the same.”