A Home for an Elderly Parent

Where Can Mom Live?: A Family Guide to Living Arrangements for Elderly Parents by Vivian F. Carbin and Ruth Mansberg (Lexington Books/D.C. Heath: $12.95.)

This timely, well-detailed guide looks at housing possibilities for older people, defined by the authors as those in the 65-and-older age group who make up about 12% of the population. Though the authors concentrate on women, who greatly outnumber men (they site the ratio of 100 women to 42 men in the 85+ age group), their advice is useful for both sexes. Writing in a lively anecdotal style, they’ve visited “Mom” in various settings and convey a sense of how the older/elderly persons actually live.

For some folks, active retirement “villages,” such as Sun City, Ariz., or Leisure World, Calif., are perfect. For older people in good health, there are group-shared homes, where expenses and duties are shared in a renovated or rented house.

In addition, the authors explore life care or congregate communities that offer a variety of services--and different financial arrangements--including the all-important matter of meals and cleaning, plus emergency medical care. There’s also a rather complicated way to sell one’s house and lease it back to pay for living expenses, as well as the return of the extended household with several generations under one roof.