With a life spent in senior services, author John D. Graham has developed a compassionate voice. His personal perspective is fully informed with his vast array of experience in senior advocacy and in leadership of senior living organizations. In sharing his expertise, via Cheeseburgers for Seniors: Top 10 Reasons Your Parents Don't Want to Move to Senior Living, with the burgeoning baby boomer population, he munificently outlines pitfalls and warning signs, and offers alternative, proactive approaches. As the title of Graham's book belies, this is not a tired tome intended to frighten you or your family. It is a tongue-in-cheek, lighthearted approach to a crucial topic. In a positive and upbeat manner, Cheeseburgers for Seniors gives practical advice about how to avoid what you do not want, and how to achieve the life that you do want. Senior living is often the last thing people think about. It may be because that time of life is often marked with health issues, as well as changes in life expectations and family roles. While some of these things can be uncomfortable to consider, lack of understanding and proper planning often leads to an undesirable outcome-an unpleasant lifestyle that could be avoided by making informed life choices. Graham's book underscores the importance of taking responsibility for your own life. As a senior, you still have the right to build the life you want. But, without information, consideration, and conscious decision-making, you cannot possibly sculpt your future in the way you desire. Planning ahead gives you the best possible chance for the best possible life. Graham's compassionate tone and humor help you look at things you might otherwise rather put off, in order to ensure your future happiness and healthiness. Graham's tone is more that of a loving and concerned son than a clinical academic pointing out surveys, probabilities, and facts. And like a good and thorough conversation, Cheeseburgers for Seniors takes you through every aspect of what to expect when planning a senior-living experience. An honest, humorous, and sobering self-help guide that also has a sunny and positive outlook, this book is never nebulous. Graham methodically outlines the best thought processes and the steps that can be taken. As you read, you will certainly be surprised at things you never thought to consider, things you never even knew about. After completing Cheeseburgers for Seniors, you will be fully informed on the basic framework for building a quality senior-living experience. Plus, you will have good questions to ask before making final choices you and your loved ones will have to live with. Graham specifically addresses senior consumer education about what living choices are available, timing considerations, lifestyle options, care choices, required interpersonal skills, purchases that should be made, decision making delegation, financial allocations, quality measures, questions that need asking, and so much more. This guide is critical for any baby boomer and certainly for their senior parents.
About the Author: John Graham is an author, speaker and seasoned senior living executive with over twenty years' experience. Graham has been an activist and visionary in leading change from institutional styles of senior living to consumer-driven, hospitality retirement choices. While the health care component of senior living should be of the highest quality, creating warm and inviting communities with product features driven by the consumer is the paradigm shift of today. John's private consulting work with families drives his obsession to continue developing tools and resources to support intergenerational relationships. His passion is to empower seniors and their families with coping skills for the most difficult life transitions. John works closely with families to alleviate passivity, fear, guilt, anger and isolation. Equipping adult caregivers with self-care strategies and realistic expectations of themselves, Graham leads families from chaos to peace with compassion and empathy. Training clients in effective communication skills with the cognitively impaired, his guidance in complex life transitions leads families back to normalcy and cherished shared life experiences. Graham's career in senior services started at Catholic Charities of New Orleans. He was named Man of the Year by Louisiana AARP Chapter 4417 in 1998, for his leadership in grassroots advocacy for improved quality and expanded choice in senior services. He has served in numerous appointed roles at the state level, working on the development of assisted living regulations, access to home and community based care and quality of life issues for seniors. His civic contributions include board leadership for the Louisiana Assisted Living Association and Gulf States Leading Age, state affiliates of the Assisted Living Federation of America and Leading Age, respectively. His work encompasses advocacy for expanded home and community-based services for low-income seniors to resident-directed models in upmarket senior living. Graham is a champion of choice and self-determination. John is the former Chief Operating Officer of the Los Angeles Jewish Home for the Aging, one of the nation's largest non-profit senior services providers. He served as President and CEO of St. James Place Retirement Community from 2005 to 2011 implementing cutting edge services for seniors such as global assisted travel. He continues his work in senior advocacy with his book, "Cheeseburgers for Seniors".