Are your parents in their golden years? Learning how to help parents or other loved ones through their transition can prepare us for our own. This compassionate and comprehensive class will give you the tools, techniques, and insights for this passage. Growing older is a part of life. Some aspects are joyful, some bittersweet, some frustrating, some frightening. You will learn what to expect, what to watch for, how to deal with physical and emotional challenges, and where to find resources to help. You'll understand the impact of retirement, learn how to choose a nursing home, and be prepared to deal with death. You'll learn about financial and legal considerations, health issues, and family interpersonal relationships. You'll be introduced to special communication skills, observation methods, and coping mechanisms to ease the burden for everyone involved. You'll learn to handle most of the challenges you will face while coming to appreciate and cherish the privilege of the journey.

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Recommended Courses:

Students who enrolled in Assisting Aging Parents were also interested in the following courses:

Certificate in Gerontology

Genealogy Basics

Handling Medical Emergencies

Write Your Life Story

Syllabus:

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when the lesson is released, but you must complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

A new section of each course starts on the second or third Wednesday of each month. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

Week One

Wednesday - Lesson 01

In our first lesson, you'll learn a few tools and techniques for effective communication that will sustain you as your parents age.

Friday - Lesson 02

In this lesson, we'll explore ideas that can help you help your parent to maintain his or her zest for life as circumstances change. You'll discover some activities that you might not have thought of before. But you can only suggest that your parents get involved with a new interest. It can be frustrating if they refuse and you have to watch them lose their will to live. My intent is to give you many tools so you can keep trying until something works. If the only behavior you can change is your own, remember that your parent can't help but respond differently to that change. So at least that is in your control. You'll find suggestions on how to make the most of this fact in this lesson.

Week Two

Wednesday - Lesson 03

In this lesson, we're going to talk about ways to change how you think about accumulating things. I'll give you some ideas about what to do with the things you and your parents already have once you decide to free yourselves from the burden of excessive possessions. You'll learn about trusts and gifting away financial assets in Lesson 8—for now, we're talking about artifacts and material possessions, the things that fill your rooms, have to be dusted, insured, provided space, and otherwise cared for. Today you'll learn how to protect yourself from the mind control of advertising in our society of getting and spending. At last, you'll have the awareness to control your own spending habits and help your parents start to unload their lifetime accumulation of stuff.

Friday - Lesson 04

We often live under the delusion that we're immortal until something, like a death in the family, reminds us of our vulnerability in this world. We may not even think about what would happen to our cat or dog if we got hit by a bus, let alone how we would like our worldly goods distributed. If we think about our health care wishes at all, it's to hope that we do get hit by a bus and don't have to endure a painful or prolonged decline or death. Advance directives are written documents that serve as an individual's instructions regarding disposal of his or her property. In today's lesson, you'll learn what documents you must have, as well as those you should have for yourself and your parents. Today, we'll take a close at each of the important documents, and I'll provide you with tips on how to acquire and prepare them for yourself and your parents with minimum cost and effort. If you're at least 18 years of age, you should have your preferred medical, resuscitation, and funereal instructions officially documented, even if you don't yet have assets to worry about. You'll find out how to address this critical need in this lesson!

Week Three

Wednesday - Lesson 05

Even if you think you know your parents inside and out, you might be surprised by some of the things you don't know. And some of those things may be important to you should a parent have to move to assisted living, become incapacitated, or die. In this lesson, I'll tell you about some of the things you should find out while you still can. In addition to the documents we discussed in Lesson 4, you or your parents may have cash, valuables, investments, pensions, insurance policies, safe deposit boxes, a personal safe combination, and account numbers that will be invaluable to the executor of an estate. Do you and your parents have all those things neatly filed in one place? We'll cover all that and more in this lesson.

Friday - Lesson 06

You'll learn about practical and material matters in several of the other lessons in this course. In today's lesson, we'll take a different tack. Every emotion that there is to experience can surface at some time when you're involved in the inevitable changes that come with aging. Today, I'll help you learn what emotions to expect in yourself, your parents, your siblings, and others. We'll revisit some of the communication techniques you learned in Lesson 1 as tools for handling feelings that surface. We'll also explore some new applications of pacing and leading, and ways to manage your own emotions.

Week Four

Wednesday - Lesson 07

In the past, it was the norm for family to absorb whatever additional burdens came with the declining health and abilities of elders. Community and government services were limited or nonexistent. That's no longer the case. You are not alone, and the good news is that there are services available no matter what financial situation you or your parents are in. In this lesson, we'll explore what's available, where to find it, and the levels or progression of help that you may need over time. You'll also learn how to tell when to move from one level to another. After that, we'll go over some strategies for handling that moment when you introduce the idea of getting help to your parents. This can be a delicate matter, so it's best to be prepared. Issues of self-esteem and layers of emotion may arise when your parents find that they just can't do all the things they used to. I'll teach you to be on the lookout for this as we explore finding help.

Friday - Lesson 08

The home care services you learned about in Lesson 7 can postpone a move to assisted living quarters, but there may come a time when it's no longer feasible for your parents to stay in their current home. You'll learn how to discuss the idea of a move with your parents, and ascertain their preferences, fears, and concerns. There are now several possibilities for increased care or services other than your home or a nursing home. I'll describe some common ones in this lesson. We'll explore the options progressively, from fully independent living to full-care nursing. We'll also talk about downsizing, as well as relocation and other services that you may need. Finally, you'll learn to choose wisely if sudden illness or impairment strikes, making a progressive approach impossible.

Week Five

Wednesday - Lesson 09

Today you'll learn the five symptoms that reveal when it's time for your parent to move to a nursing home. Selecting a nursing home is one of the most important decisions you can make. I'll give you criteria and a checklist for selection that will serve you well whether you find yourself in a sudden crisis or just ahead of a parent being released from hospital. You'll be able to use the information in this lesson to enhance your confidence in selecting assisted living or other residence options.

Friday - Lesson 10

When the time comes to move your parent to a nursing home, your behavior can make a big difference in how well he or she accepts the change. You'll have to face the emotions of your parent and other family members, and control your own. The communication skills based on neurolinguistic programming (NLP) that you have learned in previous lessons will serve you well: pacing and leading, gaining and maintaining rapport, and using disassociation to control emotion. In today's lesson, I'll give you some more tips for applying your skills during this stressful time.

Week Six

Wednesday - Lesson 11

In this lesson, I invite you to consider death as a life event, another rite of passage in the ever-flowing river of existence. I'll share much of my own experience with my mother's death, and some thoughts that friends and students have shared with me. What you learn will serve you well if you're dealing with the impending death of a loved one. If you aren't yet facing it, the information in this lesson will help prepare you for that eventuality. You'll learn practical tips to help the dying person, and a few more to help you cope. You'll be encouraged to conquer your fear and reluctance enough to be fully present when death is imminent, and this will free you for a profound experience.

Friday - Lesson 12

In Lesson 11, we talked about ways to handle the experience of a loved one dying. I urged you to choose to be fully present for that experience. In this, our final lesson, we'll address what to expect after the death. You'll become familiar with various theories about grief. We'll also cover some tips on handling issues that might arise. Finally, I'll offer you encouragement and suggestions for getting closure on this life experience, and ideas for getting on with the living.

This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Marsiea Warren.

Marsiea Warren has trained and coached people in the public and private sectors for over 25 years. She holds a Master's degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Alabama in Birmingham. She is a Certified Master Practitioner of Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), and a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist. This class is a labor of love springing from lessons she learned in helping her own parents through retirement, relocation, and her mother's illness and death. She has dealt personally with each topic in this course.

Requirements:

Internet access, e-mail, the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and the Adobe Flash and PDF plug-ins (two free and simple downloads you obtain at http://www.adobe.com/downloads by clicking Get Adobe Flash Player and Get Adobe Reader).

Student Reviews:

"An excellent course by a very gracious and compassionate instructor"

"An excellent course for me - it met my needs at this point in my life and I am so glad that I invested the time and money to take it. I have printed out the lessons and plan to follow up by reviewing material and consulting books and websites. I looked foreward to my weekly lessons, and I feel a sense of loss now that the class is over. Thank you!"

"An excellent course for me - it met my needs at this point in my life and I am so glad that I invested the time and money to take it. I have printed out the lessons and plan to follow up by reviewing material and consulting books and websites. I looked forward to my weekly lessons, and I feel a sense of loss now that the class is over. Thank you!"

"As I told others who have asked me about the course, you have dealt with all the issues in such a gentle way that it seems manageable and within the realm of possibility that I will be able to deal with this phase gracefully."

"A very timely course in this day and age when the number of elderly is increasing at record levels. I had been searching for information on a variety of elder care issues for quite some time and this course provided me with answers to my questions in one place. With my parents entering their golden years, I needed a roadmap to guide me with helping them through the aging process. This course was that roadmap."

"Dear Marsiea, I loved everything about this course. Not only was it helpful but very personal and interesting. I hope that you will be teaching other courses on line in the future. I look forward to advancing my education through you and the college. Thank-you for all your help."

"Excellent and informative class. I only wish I had taken it several years earlier. Some problems dealing with my parents may have been avoided. I will use this material again and again. It's very valuable."

"Excellent course, and it could not have come at a better time in my life. I feel I got an enormous amount of direction and information! I would highly recommend it to others!"

"Excellent course! Highly recommend to anyone who has aging parents to help them through this process."

"Excellent course, I gained so much from it."

"EXCELLENT FOR ANYONE WITH AGING PARENTS, THIS IS A" MUST TAKE" COURSE.."

"Excellent source of information! Instructor was clear and easy to understand, lessons were to the point and illustrated the point perfectly."

"For many, the journey down the path of assisting aging parents is full of uncertainty and emotional highs and lows. This course lights the way for our journey through the experience of others. Knowing what to expect and being equipped with tools to handle the challenges along the way makes me more confident and better prepared to deal effectively with whatever lies ahead"

"For many, the journey down the path of assisting aging parents is full of uncertainty and emotional highs and lows. This course lights the way for our journey through the experience of others. Knowing what to expect and being equipped with tools to handle the challenges along the way makes me more confident and better prepared to deal effectively with whatever lies ahead."

"Great course to get a perspective on communicating and helping elderly parents and dealing with the issues of nursing homes, wills, grief. Marsiea was excellent, not intimidating, very helpful."

"Great course to get a prospective on communicating and helping elderly parents and dealing with the issues of nursing homes, wills, grief. Marsiea was excellent, not intimidating, very helpful."

"Great course with outstanding and specific feedback provided by both the instructor and students on a somewhat difficult topic."

"I am a Registered Nurse and a daughter of aging parents.... Instructor Marsiea Warren covers the legal and practical matters of aging in America so well that I learned invaluable information about the resources available that my nursing education and 20 years of nursing practice hadn't taught me. As a daughter I had been troubled for years dwelling on the time when I must face the loss of each of my parents. I believed I would surely go insane with the losses and agonized over not having a better plan than to ask my physician for mood-altering medications when the time came for my emotions to explode out of the orifices of my head and my heart to be pierced through by the cold sword of the reality of loss. Marsiea Warren's work addresses the overwhelmingly emotional aspects of dealing with aging parents and their imminent deaths. The insight she gained through personal experience with the decline and death of her mother and the subsequent challenges her father then faced makes her an outstanding teacher who brings also the gifts of compassion and writing to her mission in guiding others who will one day be faced with the loss of a parent. I was comforted. I was made more confident in my ability to cope effectively so that I could even choose to be fully present in the process of dying and be with my parents when the lungs draw one last breath, the once-in-a-lifetime event of death. Thank you, Marsiea, for kindly sharing your personal experience so that others may benefit."

"I am so appreciative of this course. Thank you, Marseia. It has helped me recognize how wonderful and thoughtful my parents really are."

"I am so glad I took this course. It really has helped me through a very challenging time in my life. So many of my questions & concerns have been answered- thanks Marsiea!"

"I am so glad I took this course. It really has helped me through a very challenging time in my life. So many of my questions & concerns have been answered- thanks Marsiea! For many, the journey down the path of assisting aging parents is full of uncertainty and emotional highs and lows. This course lights the way for our journey through the experience of others. Knowing what to expect and being equipped with tools to handle the challenges along the way makes me more confident and better prepared to deal effectively with whatever lies ahead."

"I appreciate the calm and supporting way the instructor covered sensitive and emotional topics. She shared ideas that focus not only on caring for our aging loved one but on how to build care and closeness within the entire family during the difficult transition from life to death. What could be more important than that? Thank you."

"I feel very fortunate to have had Marsiea as an instructor for her expertise, insightful comments/replies to students, thoroughness of resources researched, etc., but also because this was my first on-line virtual experience and it was positive all the way around. I look forward to taking another class with her in the future."

"I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to take this course with this teacher. She is marvelous and outstanding. She was very knowledgeable and at the same time very compassionate with her information."

"I found the class to be informative and enjoyable. Thanks for the insights."

"I found the course to be very informative. My father passed away at home after a lengthy illness & the course reinforced the way the family handled his illness and passing. Your course gave me some valuable things to think about. I would definitely recommend the course. The course was very well organized. Thank you for all your personal experiences."

"I hope other on-line courses I'd like to take meet the standard this one impressed me with. Well worth the investment I made in it."

"I immensely enjoyed this course and it has been extremely helpful to me. I will take advantage of the resources the instructor gave during the class."

"I loved everything about this course. Not only was it helpful but very personal and interesting. I hope that you will be teaching other courses on line in the future. I look forward to advancing my education through you and the college. Thank you for all your help."

"I really enjoyed this class, it was so informational. It really hit home with the different topics. Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to learn of this need to help our parents."

"I really enjoyed this course! It is one that I wish everyone could see the need, and follow through!! I really appreciated the instructors' comments, and remarks. I enjoyed the assignments because they are suggestions that will be easy to go back to and revisit, and how they apply to our lives. I would recommend this course to everyone! It will not only guide you to a deeper understanding of your parents, but also yourself and your children! Thank you so much for the opportunity to take this course, it was truly enlightening. Have a Merry Christmas and share your time with your family. Thanks again."

"I really liked this class. It came at the perfect time for me, as I am in the midst of taking care of an aging parent and needed some guidance and encouragement. It helped me to know my feelings were important too and not to be afraid to express them. It also prepared me of the reactions and emotions of both my aging parent and step parent and all my siblings."

"I thoroughly enjoyed this course!! The instructor was GREAT!"

"I thoroughly enjoyed this on-line class on Assisting Aging Parents. The lessons and supplemental information have been valuable. The instructor was knowledgeable and caring, and taught from first hand experience. I feel that I am more prepared and have more confidence to deal with the the complexities of dealing with my aging parents. This was my first on-line class and I must say, I found it very enjoyable and look forward to taking other courses in the future"

"I thoroughly enjoyed this on-line class on Assisting Aging Parents. The lessons and supplemental information have been valuable. The instructor was knowledgeable and caring, and taught from first hand experience. I feel that I am more prepared and have more confidence to deal with the the complexities of dealing with my aging parents. This was my first on-line class and I must say, I found it very enjoyable and look forward to taking other courses in the future."

"I thoroughly enjoyed your class. You were clear and concise. God blessed you with a special gift which you are using to help other people. This is the first on-line course I've taken. I plan to take more. I'll encourage others to take your classes. I thank you for sharing your talents with me and others."

"I thought Marsiea did an excellent job with an extremely difficult topic. I have saved all lessons and additional materials (again, well chosen and documented) and know I will refer to them in the future."

"I totally enjoyed this class! I hope I can take another class with the same instructor. She was very knowledgeable and communicated the lessons in a wonderful way. The course has helped me in many ways besides assisting my aging parents. I think the title should have another name to attract students who have already lost their parents but can benefit from the other helpful info in their own lives."

"I totally enjoyed this class! I hope I can take another class with the same instructor. She was very knowlegeable and communicated the lessons in a wonderful way. The course has helped me in many ways besides assisting my aging parents.I think the title should have another name to attract students who have already lost their parents but can benefit from the other helpful info in their own lives."

"I've learned so many valuable things from this course. Most importantly I can now move forward and be most helpful with my mom! Thank you so very much for all the very useful information!"

"I want to join with the others to thank you for offering this class. I really appreciated the wealth of knowledge, as well as the wisdom and the depth of your compassion. Thank you so much for all you've shared with us."

"I would certaily recommend this to anyone/everyone. This course touched on every aspect of taking care of a loved one and it is valuable information that I will keep and refer back to in the months/years to come. This course and instructor gets an A+."

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for putting your experiences, thoughts, emotions and opinions into this online course and for sharing yourself with all of us. The course has given me a direction of research with all the web links and information you have provided and touched my heart to look at my dad and our situation in a whole new light. Thank you so much!"

"I would like to thank Marsiea Warren for putting together a comprehensive and informative course on Assisting Aging Parents. The information is very helpful and easy to understand. I appreciate how easy it was to take this course on-line, and enjoyed the reading material."

"I would like to thank Marsiea Warren for putting together a comprehensive and informative course on Assisting Aging Parents. The information is very helpful and easy to understand. I appreciate how easy it was to take this course on-line, and enjoyed the reading material."

"I would like to thank Marsiea Warren for putting together a comprehensive and informative course on Assisting Aging Parents. The information is very helpful and easy to understand. I appreciate how easy it was to take this course on-line, and enjoyed the reading material."

"Loved this course. The course material was exactly what I wanted to cover."

"Loved this course. The material is exactly what I wanted to cover."

"Marsiea is a very compassionate instructor. She is very knowledgeable and presented the material well."

"Marsiea is a wonderfully enlightened person who's life experiences has allowed for this course to be informative and engaging, while also having the human voice of a daughter's journey, her own. The success of a teacher is not measured by their knowledge but on their willingness to engage and be wholly vulnerable in order to teach their students. In return, the students will reward the teacher by responding, reacting and growing."

"Marsiea, I would like to thank you for providing such thoughtful and helpful information to us throughout this class. The information has helped me to think introspectively about a situation that we all would rather not face. However, knowledge is power (another proverb I forgot to list in Lesson 11), and it will serve all of us well when the time comes to deal with this inevitable life situation."

"Marsiea, my thanks to you for opening up (and handling with care) a very subjective and emotionally charged issue. Your openness, honesty, and ability to get to the core of all the elements that we visited was very satisfying for me. I understand now that I'm not the only one hearing seeing or feeling things about these changes to my parents' lives. I especially appreciate the additional information (websites and books) that we can peruse on our own. Thanks again."

"Marsiea, Thanks for a great course. I took wanting to stay in denial that I am fast approaching the necessity of dealing with many of the issues you've brought up. As I told others who have asked me about the course, you have dealt with all the issues in such a gentle way that it seems manageable and within the realm of possibility that I will be able to deal with this phase gracefully. Thank you!"

"Marsiea, Thank you for sharing your personal life moments in this course and also for wanting to help others assist their aging parents. I'm so glad that I found this course and I've told my friends, family, neighbors and others I talk with in the community about it. I had never taken an online course so I was wondering how things would work. I really enjoyed the format; reading the chapters, using the web links, doing the assignments and taking the quizzes, plus sharing with others. Thank you for supplying so many resources of information. I know I'll refer back to the lessons and web sites many times in my life time."

"Marsiea, Thank you for your caring instruction. I learned quite a lot and to my pleasure, with sufficient depth on specifics. Never had this much reference material to go on before and I am most grateful. Although I felt disappointed that my parents weren't up to participating with me on some of the assignments (frankly, I gave up :>), I still felt I had learned enough to be a LOT more comfortable on preparing myself now. My mind-set is attuned to what you offered us. Your sharing your mother's dying process and peaceful and dignified death with us was most appreciated and is by far, the most valuable learning that I experienced. Definitely better than some text book case study. God's blessings to you and your loved ones and all of my classmates!"

"Marsiea, Thank you so much for this opportunity to be exposed to such valuable lessons and information. Since I am so close to my parents, I've often experienced hopelessness when pondering the loss of either of them. This class has given me the tools to assist them in making informative decessions about legal, medial and health issues. In addition to helping me, deal with the reality of life. Thank you."

"Marsiea, Thank you so much for this opportunity to be exposed to such valuable lessons and information. Since I am so close to my parents, I've often experienced hopelessness when pondering the loss of either of them. This class has given me the tools to assist them in making informative decisions about legal, medial and health issues. In addition to helping me deal with the reality of life. Thank you."

"Marsiea was an excellent instructor. I gained a tremendous amount of knowledge taking this course. I highly recommend it to others whether they are assisting a loved one or not. One is going to need to know this sooner or later"

"Marsiea, you and your mom snitched green apples! -- What a delightful anecdote! An instructor lists and outlines many important things that are deserving of attention and remembrance, but it is the anecdote; the story visually imagined in the mind, that strikes a chord in the student. Thanks for sharing that one with us."

"One of the things I have loved about this course is the personal approach. Rather than dwelling entirely on the aging parent, we have been asked to come to terms with our own wishes, thoughts, possessions, and feelings. What better way could we have to gain sensitivity for others? I will be reviewing my printed lessons for a long time to come.... thanks so much, Marsiea, for an incredibly enlightening, thoughful, sensitive, knowledgeable, delightful class! It is one I will never forget."

"Thanks Marsiea for sharing your life lessons -- we are grateful and most appreciative. This is my first on-line class. Although "up close and personal" is always better for interaction I was very pleasantly surprised at how your course was structured. Thanks again."

"Thanks Marsiea for teaching such a great course. This has been one of if not the best courses on life matters that I have ever taken. I have recommended your class to many folks, in all stages of assisting their aging parents. Thanks for your wisdom, insight, encouragement and resources. I now have a better sense of knowledge and confidence to embrace my aging parent along the journey and to make plans to assist my children with their future aging parent. Peace, love, grace and happiness be yours with more blessings than you can count."

"Thank you for a great course. You have given us a wealth of information for assisting our aging relatives. You are a very gracious and compassionate lady."

"Thank you for everthing I truly enjoyed your course and learned a lot. I do home companion care work and am looking to also do hospice and this has helped me a lot in accepting the death and dying process."

"Thank you for offering this informative course. The instructor was articulate and dealt with sensitive issues in a highly supportive way. I hope that many people take advantage of this wealth of valuable information."

"Thank you for using your educational and personal experiences to help make us aware on how we can better our lives and the lives of the ones we hold so precious to us. This valuable type of knowledge will help us to pass on information and understanding that can be used by all individuals that we can come in contact with. I feel very blessed to have this course, and very comfortable to pass it on to other individuals that are going through this same type of experience.It is truly a course that can change and enhance the well being of others. That should be the kind of goal that we should all strive for."

"Thank you for writing a clear, concise and compassionate tutorial. I am very glad I took the time to take this class. I will personally be able to use this information for myself and for my mother. Also, I can use the information for my work in a nursing home. Thanks again. Your work is a blessing for families who have aging parents."

"Thank you Marsiea and all my fellow classmates. I've learned that I'm not alone and others are facing the same problems and concerns. As our population ages, elder care has become one of the biggest issues with women (mostly) today. It is very beneficial having all Marsiea's knowledge and information in one packet that I will refer to often. It has been heart warming and comforting sharing our thoughts and experiences with each other. Thank you again."

"Thank you Marsiea for making this course so interesting, helpful, inspiring as well as comforting. I feel that I have the tools now to help me in whatever life hands me. I wish you peace and happiness in your life as well."

"Thank you Marsiea for this wonderful class and all of the personal experiences that you shared. I will definately recommend this course."

"Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and your knowledge. In the past weeks, I feel like I have made a friend."

"The course and instructor were not only resourceful but comforting. I feel both have profoundly changed my life."

"The course provided a way for my Mother and I to interact and discuss these issues and I have a much better feel for her needs and wants. I've recommended the course to several people."

"The course was full of great information, with practical suggestions and tips. It was written in an interesting and clear manner. I felt like the instructor was talking to me. This was my first experience with an online course and I was somewhat fearful. Based on this experience, I wouldn't hesitate to take another online class. Thank you."

"The information presented here has been helpful to me-both in assisting my mother and as a possible career change. As a matter of fact I am going for an informational interview tomorrow with a director in the senior care area to see what might be available for someone with my background in this field. The last several months have been challenging to say the least both to my having to leave my job due to health reasons and then my mother becoming ill. However she is improving well and I am healing as well. Thank you for sharing both your family challenges and your information."

"The instructor has excellent knowledge of this course and is very personable with discussing class subjects. Class is great for understanding life and death situations."

"The instructor was very good at replying to every person’s comments and did so in a very personal way. She provided lots of sources for additional information, which was great!"

"This class was offered at a time when both my mother and father needed my help. I was unsure of where to begin. Now I have an "attack plan"."

"This course has been and will be a wonderful source of strength and knowledge. Thank you so much!!"

"This course took a very practical, useful approach to the subject. Personal experiences as provided by the instructor were invaluable to complement subjects. Those fellow classmates who chose to bring up their own issues for discussion received useful feedback from the instructor and other classmates. Great course for all ages!"

"This course took a very practical, useful approach to the subject. Personal experiences as provided by the instructor were invaluable to complement [topics]. Those fellow classmates who chose to bring up their own issues for discussion received useful feedback from the instructor and other classmates. Great course for all ages!"

"This is an absolutely an essential course for anyone who is or will have aging parents or relatives to care for. I am so grateful I took the course because it helped me more than I could have anticipated. The instructor was extremely knowledgeable and had had experience to back up the information she gave us. That's like getting 2 bargains for the price of one!"

"This is a wonderful course. I really have gotten a lot out of it and at a perfect time. We have just started to deal with my father-in-law with a lot of these matters. and this course has given us a lot of insight."

"This is my first experience with an online course. I found it most valuable. There was an abundance of material and suggestions about "what to do" that will probably take me a few months to complete but I look forward to the challenge of doing all that was suggested. Most important course I've taken...maybe ever"

"This is my first online course. I enjoyed it and look forward to future courses. I appreciate the time and effort the instructor put forth. This course is obviously a labor of love for her and it shows. I am watching my parents begin the descent from being 'older folks' to being 'elderly'. This course has opened my eyes to some of the decisions coming up and has given me some tools to assist them. Thank you for making this course available."

"This is my first online course. I enjoyed it and look forward to future courses. I appreciate the time and effort the instructor put forth. This course is obviously a labor of love for her and it shows. I am watching my parents begin the descent from being 'older folks' to being 'elderly'. This course has opened my eyes to some of the decisions coming up and has given me some tools to assist them. Thank you for making this course available. Bettie Towner"

"This was a great course for me because I am now doing and thinking about things in a different way. I want to thank you for offering such fine courses with such great instructors. This will make my life and the lives of my family members much richer for having taken the course."

"This was a great course for me because I am now doing and thinking about thinks in a different way. I want to thank you for offering such fine courses with such great instructors. This will make my life and the lifes of my family members much richer for having taken this course."

"This was a great course. Very comprehensive. I found it more comprehensive than most of the books I have read on the topic. I thought the reference materials were useful too. My 81 year old mother just moved in with me and it was exactly what I needed to understand how to best meet my mom and my family’s needs. I think it has accurately prepared me for the journey to come and how to take the best care of all of us including myself."

"This was an excellent course! I am the kind of person who has to take this kind of class while I'm in the situation. I found it very helpful, not just for assisting my 82-year old mother but also in getting my financial and health matters in order. This is timeless information that I will be referring to time and time again. The instructor wrote about how she handled the different situations with the care and eventual death of her mother. You can sense that she is a very loving and caring person. It's a very needed course that everyone should take."

"This was an excellent course, it has helped me and I will continue to use it as resources as my parents get older and need more assistance. I have already given several pieces to my brothers, so that they can start taking a more active role in the care of our parents. Thank you!"

"This was a very timely class for me. My parents are elderly and I am struggling with their care and wellbeing. The scope of the course was amazing to me - the instructor covered information from the very beginning of the aging process (retirement) through searching for alternative living conditions and ending in the finality of death. All topics were covered candidly and with compassion. I think one of the greatest benefits was the outside reading and resource list."

"This was a very timely class for me. My parents are elderly and I am struggling with their care and well-being. The scope of the course was amazing to me - the instructor covered information from the very beginning of the aging process (retirement) through searching for alternative living conditions and ending in the finality of death. All topics were covered candidly and with compassion. I think one of the greatest benefits was the outside reading and resource list. I have read three books recommended during the class and have found them invaluable. What a comfort it is to know so many others are dealing with problems similar to mine! I wrote in once and was amazed at the quickness of her response to my problems. I am recommending this class to everyone. It's amazing how often the trials of dealing with elderly parents punctuates conversation with my friends. The instructor is doing a wonderful service for us. I have learned to try to see problems from my parents' perspective. Yes, it's hard on me to deal with them, yet imagine how hard it is on them to be losing their independence (driving), health (congestive heart failure), and awareness. I thank you for helping me continue through the upcoming months!"

"This was my first on-line course and I'm so pleased with all the knowledge I am walking away with, because of you sharing so many personal feelings. Who knew there were so many procedures to deal with regarding nursing homes, wills, phases of grief and what to expect as you journey thru each phases?! Thank you so much, you have given me so many ideas to work with everday in dealing with my mom's dementia and family. And also helpful were the comments from the other students and their situaltions. Thank you again."

"This was such a great class! Marsiea dealt with issues that are truly hard topics to broach much less discuss and work on. She's given me tremendous insight into many aspects of aging and the process of preparation for the inevitable - death. I would highly recommend the class to others."

"What an awesome class! I (and my parents) got so much good information from this...so many resources are available that we now know about. Everyone should take this class!"

"Wonderful course! Very timely and useful to me; I got not only needed information, but resources to find other answers in the future. The instructor was very personable and helpful, and the lessons were a manageable length."

"Wonderful course! Very timely and useful to me; I got not only needed information, but resources to find other answers in the future. The instructor was very personable and helpful, and the lessons were a manageable length."

"You are a kind and compassionate person. I thank you for sharing your wisdom and wish you good luck and good health in your life."

"You are a wonderful person, Marsiea. You have shared many things with us about your mother, and how you were able to cope with things. I surely appreciate this.I have taken several on-line courses, but this one has been my favorite!! Thanks again for all of the valuable information."

"You are a wonderful person, Marsiea. You have shared many things with us about your mother, and how you were able to cope with things. I surely appreciate this. I have taken several on-line courses, but this one has been my favorite!! Thanks again for all of the valuable information."

"Your class was so much more than I expected! Beyond helping me with the practical matters of resources and approaches, ultimately I realized that in order to be effective for my dad I have to dismantle the roadblocks in my head. After almost forty years of cynically rejecting "clichés," light bulbs were going off in my head as I read your material. It finally sunk in and empowered me -- I can change myself! As a result I have a confidant in my sister and a healthier relationship with my mom. Thank you for truly helping ME to assist my aging parents!"