Elder Rage or Take My Father…Please!
How to Survive Caring for Aging Parents
By Jacqueline Marcell 

     Jacqueline Marcell is the perfect person to help those who must care for aging parents. She has been there, done that. That isn't the only reason she is an ideal guide through what is often a limbo of survival by hook or crook. The best reason is that she has a sense of humor.

     Marcell teaches by example. With a light (and sometimes wry) heart, she tells of her own successful and not-so-successful experiences with an aging father and with a system that can be far more exasperating than dealing with her core problem. The light heart did not come easily. Because of the hard-earned know-how Marcell shares in "Elder Rage," the process will be much easier for you.

     This book has been endorsed by many including the likes of Steve Allen, Janet Leigh and Robert Stack. It has a succinct and well-written addendum on treating dementia by Rodman Shankle, MS, MD. He is the former medical direct of the University of California at Irvine's Alzheimer's Center.

     Occasionally Marcell lapses into lingo that may be too hip for some; because of that, it might not be understood by some of those in-between generations who aren't suffering from Alzheimer's (yet!), but mostly the humor comes through loud and clear and does exactly what it should do. I especially liked the third chapter, because it reminded me of when I helped close a home for an aunt and uncle who had recently died. Even a reader who hasn't walked with a loved one who is suffering from deteriorating mental capabilities can relate to this chapter and there are many like that. That's probably because pain and love are inextricably intertwined; following Marcell's story is like reading any good memoir. Because it's told from the heart, we identify and learn and then learn some more.