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It was planned as a single book but once they got started, they had to separate their idea into four separate categories, starting with the one that arrived fresh from the printer Dec. 22.
The book, at 280 pages, has guided spaces to record medical appointments, diagnoses, medications, legal documents, and end-of-life issues.
Both Sharon and Claudine work with these types of issues every day; Sharon as an agent who sells health, life and long-term care insurance, and her daughter Claudine, who is certified by the State of Florida as an assisted living facility administrator.
“We see so many people who become incapacitated in one way or another who have never talked about their wishes to family,” said Sharon.
Sometimes, Claudine adds, when there’s an emergency with a parent, their children or grandchildren can come to Florida for only a few days and have no idea what arrangements they need to make.
Does their parent want to go into an assisted living facility? Does he or she have long-term care insurance? And what about end-of life issues? What are their personal preferences about those?
Sharon and Claudine combined their knowledge into a book that gives direction and yet leaves plenty of space to write in the specifics of each individual’s life.
But the idea for the book wasn’t originally about elderly parents. It came about when one of Claudine’s children was rushed to Brandon Regional Hospital and she couldn’t separate her three children’s health histories in her mind when asked specific questions.
“In emergencies, you aren’t thinking clearly and you have all these questions that need to be answered,” she told me.
They started the book several years ago but didn’t finish until Claudine lost a job in April 2009.
They say now that was a blessing in disguise. Since then, Claudine has been employed as Community Relations Director at Sun City Senior Living in Sun City Center, but for several months the two worked on the book every day, putting their joint knowledge of care giving to work on the pages in a way that makes it easy to record things like ethnic background, areas where someone has have lived, habits, pets, diseases and diagnoses, doctors, legal documents and funeral arrangements.
“Some people have a very hard time approaching some of these subjects with their family,” said Claudine. “This book makes it easy because you don’t have to talk to anyone if you don’t want to. You can just record it and let someone know where you keep it so the information can be used when it’s needed.”
The two Ruskin women started their own publishing company, Emerald Publishing, which they run out of their homes. That way, they say they can control all the marketing and publicity themselves.
And they have another book that should be ready for printing by February. It is titled “My Child’s Personal History and Health Care Journal: Infancy through High School.”
They plan to follow that with two more: “My Personal History and Health Care Journal: The College Years ”and“ My Caregiver’s Journal: Daily Log.”
Once they started putting the ideas on paper, they realized the same types of questions should be adapted to every stage of life.
“Parents often have the same trouble I did in emergencies,” said Claudine. “When you have several children, you remember going through something, but not always which child, or when and where it happened, or some other important detail.”
Both were elated to see their first book in print a few days before Christmas, coincidentally on the fifth anniversary of Sharon’s mother’s death.
“I felt as if she was looking over us,” Sharon said. “It was a very meaningful day for me.”
Claudine Leger and her mother Sharon Alexander have come up with a journal-type book to help people (and caregivers) keep track of health conditions, finances and legal issues. It can also help family members and medical personnel in an emergency. Penny Fletcher Photos
Claudine’s grandparents’ owned and operated a rest home in New York State when Claudine was growing up.
“The school bus would drop me off there,” said Claudine.
In one way or another each has cared for others (besides their families) as a career all their life.
The two will be available to talk about their book (and planned future books) at their first book signing which will take place Jan. 15 from 10 a.m. to noon at Sun City Senior Living, 3855 Upper Creek Drive (north off State Road 674).
It can be ordered for $37.50 plus tax by email at
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; from the Web site, www.personalhealthcarejournal.com or by calling (813) 597-3629.
The two say even if you don’t buy the book, it’s very important to keep accurate records where you can get at them easily if needed and for older adults to write down their wishes while they’re still in good health.
*Perhaps you have something you’d like to share. Or maybe you’d rather tell the community about your favorite charity or cause: or sound off about something you think needs change. That’s what “Over Coffee” is about. It really doesn’t matter whether we actually drink any coffee or not (although I probably will). It’s what you have to say that’s important. E-mail me any time and suggest a meeting place. No matter what’s going on, I’m usually available to share just one more cup.
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