Imagine: Instead of being uncomfortable with an elderly client walking through the doorway, one is confident. Instead of being unsure of what to say to an older person who seems confused, one knows exactly what to do.
Everyone lives in a youth-obsessed culture where older people are often dismissed or marginalized. But soon the nation will be seeing more walkers than baby strollers on the sidewalks. People are living longer now than ever before in history. Anyone engaged with senior clients will be better prepared for their work with the new American Bar Association Senior Lawyers Division book "Working with Aging Clients: A Guide for Legal, Business and Financial Professionals" by Carolyn Rosenblatt, from ABA Publishing.
Rosenblatt, a nurse-attorney-mediator from the San Francisco area, writes in the introduction, "It does not matter what specialty we have or what market we work in, nor whether we are lawyers, business advisors, financial professionals or others. We are now facing or will soon be facing a rising tide of aging folks among us."
The chapters are focused respectively on:
- Myths and stereotypes about aging.
- Communication with elders.
- Difficulties working with aging clients.
- Common elder-specific issues.
- Family conflicts regarding elders.
- Resolution techniques that can help keep issues with aging clients from escalating.
Rosenblatt combines her nursing perspective with her legal experience to deepen the reader's understanding of the aging person/client, presenting practical concepts that any professional can use. Woven throughout the book are lessons from Rosenblatt's many years of working directly with elder people, both as patients and as clients she represented, as well as in her mediation work.
Another common theme of "Working with Aging Clients" is that everyone ages differently. Rosenblatt writes, "There are nonagenarians who are athletes. Some people over 100 years of age are still mentally sharp. And don't be surprised if you meet a spry elder who needs no accommodation, tells you to get on with it, and otherwise busts every stereotype you've ever held about aging persons."
"Working with Aging Clients: A Guide for Legal, Business and Financial Professionals" costs $59.95. To order, call 800-285-2221 or visit ShopABA.org.
Published: Fri, Jul 24, 2015
