The booklet intends to give people information, and help them develop skills on how to remain in control of their life even when experiencing chronic, catastrophic illness or the infirmities of older years
About the Author: Mary Elizabeth Van Everbroeck, MA, LMFT Mary gained her insights into the issues involved in either chronic illness or advancing age over many years working as a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator. As a matter of fact it was her experience that many of those issues could not be addressed institutionally that led her to form her own company, Elder-Service, Inc. It specialized in assessing at-risk seniors and chronically ill individuals by investigating options available to meet the needs and preferences of the seniors, the ill individuals and their families. She or her personnel often accompanied the senior, or ill person and their families as they implemented the choices they made. They worked with the staff of either the home care agency or health care facility to insure that the client received the best possible physical and psychosocial quality of care. Many times they recommended mental health support programs for the clients in order to implement some of the tasks described in this booklet, and worked with physicians and mental health personnel in order to ensure optimal effectiveness of the services provided to clients. Realizing the central role that families played in both situations she obtained her license as a Marriage and Family therapist and started a private practice in Marriage and Family therapy with the intent of helping family members create the environment and family dynamics that would be most helpful to elderly or ill members. Leo M. Van Everbroeck, D.Min After retiring from La Salle University where, for 25 years, he was the founder and administrator of several graduate clinical programs in mental-health and marriage and family therapy, he joined his wife in developing and implementing the programs mentioned above. He contributes his experience in developing ways and means of addressing and resolving the complex issues that confront families as they seek to deal with the processes of aging and debilitating illness. That experience was gained over many years of researching and teaching therapy courses, as well as engaging in part-time private marriage and family therapy practice