The Canadian Retirement Guide: A Comprehensive Handbook on Aging, Retirement, Caregiving and Health—How to Plan and Pay for It

Virginia Gillham is university librarian and archivist at Wilfrid
Laurier University library. She is also a judge of national and
international figure skating competions.

The philosophy behind this book is that we should all be responsible for
all aspects of our own lives. We should accumulate the financial
resources needed to pay for ourselves at every stage, and we should plan
strategically so that there will be minimal necessity for anyone else to
make decisions when the time comes.

The guide is divided into three parts. Part 1, “Life Planning,”
begins with a discussion of your personal responsibilities and where you
should be directing your attention to ensure the most satisfying life
experience possible throughout your active years. There are discussions
of planning for life after career, lifestyle, activities, maintaining
good health, choices of living arrangements, and family relationships.
This section also addresses legal planning for the end of life, as well
as funeral and memorial customs and options.

Part 2 deals with the subject of caregiving, devoting more space to the
perspective of the caregiver than to that of the recipient of care.
Extensive discussion of the responsibilities of caregivers includes
innumerable practical details that may not be anticipated, possible
financial implications, and strategies for coping with individuals who
suffer reduced cognitive abilities or become combative. Part 3,
consisting of nine chapters and two appendixes, is an exhaustive
treatment of all aspects of financial planning.

This comprehensive guide for planning for the second half of life
belongs in any resource collection likely to be accessed by responsible,
thinking adults of any age.