We need to talk about Mum & Dad : a practical guide to parenting our ageing parents / Jean Kittson ; illustrations by Patrick Cook.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

To infirmity and beyond -- Talking the walk -- Setting out: what you will need -- Appointing decision makers -- Advance care directive -- Protecting the family jewels -- The importance of advocacy -- What to expect with ageing, when it's not what you expect -- Helping our elders stay healthy -- Major illness, frailty and dealing with hospital -- Deciding if its time to move -- Home care -- Residential aged care homes -- The end of life as we know it -- This mortal coil -- See you later -- Let's talk about us -- Parents of our parents.

Everything you need to know about supporting ageing parents, from author and comedian Jean Kittson. This warm and witty practical guide is a one-stop shop for information on how to support your ageing loved ones: how to protect their health and wellbeing, keep them safe and secure, and enable them to be self-determining and independent for as long as possible. Full of expert advice and first-hand experience, this is your go-to resource to help you: * Navigate the bureaucratic maze while remaining sane * Understand what is needed for your elder's health and wellbeing and how to get it, especially in a medical emergency * Survive the avalanche of legal papers and official forms * Choose the best place for them to live - home, retirement village, residential aged care, or granny and grandpa flat - and help your elders relocate with love and respect. Compelled to discuss some of life's most confronting questions, Jean shares heartfelt stories and clear facts alongside wonderful cartoons from much-loved Australian cartoonist, Patrick Cook. Following on from her 2014 bestseller, You're Still Hot to Me, a treatise on menopause, We Need to Talk About Mum and Dad is a guide to what happens when we become parents of our parents.