The Boomer Burden: Dealing with Your Parents' Lifetime Accumulation of Stuff | 
 enlarge | Author: Julie Hall
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Category: Book
List Price: $14.99
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Rating:  34 reviews
Sales Rank: 34550
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 208
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9
ISBN: 078522825X
Dewey Decimal Number: 646.78
EAN: 9780785228257
ASIN: 078522825X
Publication Date: June 1, 2008
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Product Description
A practical guide to advise Baby Boomers how to deal with the daunting task of facing a parents' eventual passing as it relates to residential contents, heirlooms, and the often difficult family interactions and feuds that accompany them. With fascinating stories and comprehensive checklists, professional estate liquidator Julie Hall walks Baby Boomers through the often painful challenge of dividing the wealth and property of their parents' lifetime accumulation of stuff. From preparation while the parent is still living through compassionately helping them empty the family home, The Estate Lady gives invaluable tips on negotiating the inevitable disputes, avoiding exploitation from scam artists, and eventually closing the chapter of their lives in a way that preserves relationships and maximizes value of assets.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 29 more reviews...
 Handy Guide for Bereavement Management December 4, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Dealing with the death of a parent can be very difficult. Emotions run high and feelings are in a state of volatility and turmoil. If this wasn't enough, there is also the problem of dividing up the deceased person's estate and this problem is compounded further when there is no will; no official document that says exactly how to distribute assets. Add to that the problem an adult child experiences when emptying out a parent's home that is overloaded with things, and you have all the ingredients for a highly stressful situation.
This is where The Boomer Burden can help. Written by a woman with plenty of experience with estates, wills, and other related issues, this book is intended to serve as a guide to adult children who want to do the right thing, honor their parents, and get through the ordeal with as few hard feelings as possible. The book begins with the topic of wills and it drills into the reader's head just how important it is to have a will- not just for parents who are nearing the end of the line, but also for themselves. Without a will, a court will decide how to divide up the assets of an estate and, more often than not, the division of property will be unacceptable to the children and will probably not coincide with the desires of the parents. This is why it is so important to have a will, and the author stresses and then re- stresses this point over and over as you read.
After the issue of wills has been emphasized to excess, The Boomer Burden then brings up some other important issues that many may relate to. One is the problem associated with older parents who are still alive but are too sick to care for themselves and need to enter an assisted living facility. Many seniors will stubbornly refuse to leave their homes for a multitude of reasons; some valid, and others bogus. The Boomer Burden offers some tips on ways to convince reluctant parents that they would be better off if there was someone around the clock to help them. The book also offers some alternatives that might be more acceptable to certain people, like having a nurse check in periodically throughout the week, at the senior citizen's own residence. The book also offers some tips on ways to convince older parents to start the cleanup process by eliminating the accumulation of things they have held onto over the years- particularly those things that have little value.
What to do with so much stuff is another important component of this book. As The Boomer Burden points out, there are likely to be some surprises along the way when adult children walk through a deceased parent's house and start to open boxes, check cupboards, open drawers, etc. Many children are shocked at the large accumulation of stuff stored in attics, garages, basements, cupboards, and other places. Bread bags, cool whip containers, old newspapers, and old magazines are among the many discoveries just waiting to be found and the decision on what to do often comes down to either making a charitable donation or renting a large dumpster to discard the old magazines, papers, etc. Always check through things first- there could possibly be a collectable among that garbage. An old newspaper from an ordinary day of the week is worth nothing, but a newspaper with an important world news headline story could be worth some big bucks, so check before you toss.
The Boomer Burden is geared toward baby boomers whose parents are nearing their final days and it was written to address some of the issues common to senior citizens of this generation. Parents of baby boomers grew up during difficult times and this is part of the reason why they have a greater tendency to hoard things. Their generation is often very frugal and believes you shouldn't throw away anything that might have some use in the future. This is why it is so common to find certain items in such abundance in the homes of individuals of this generation.
The Boomer Burden is written in a practical style, but with a friendly and helpful tone. The author wants everyone to be prepared and wants to minimize family trauma. She also realizes that there is plenty of work to be done both before and after the passing of a parent, so she wastes no time rolling up her sleeves and telling you, the reader, what needs to be done each step of the way. The author is friendly, but firm. Wills need to be completed, houses need to be cleaned, and other important decisions have to be made. There is little time to procrastinate, and this highly useful guide offers estate advice that, while not necessarily something we like to think about, is practical and sensible. Following its many words of wisdom will not only save you loads of garbage, it will also save you loads of grief during this especially difficult time.
Practical and valuable information for facing a life crisis November 19, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I bought this book because the advice given applies to my specific situation, a baby boomer getting close to having to deal with end-of-life issues for my parents. The author bases her suggestions and advice on experience and has good credibility. The information is not only useful for dealing with parents, but preparing for my own end-of-life situation as well. There are many hard truths in the book that many of us fail to face up to, but need to in a responsible way. I'm buying more copies of this book for a sibling and for my estate executor. It's a very practical book with excellent advice. It's easy to read.
The Book for Executors - Quick Read - Great Ideas November 18, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
The author did an excellent job in detailing the process of cleaning up your parents house, dividing the stuff and liquidating the estate. She was in-depth, followed through with details, experiences and multiple options. Really a great book for trying to tackle estate division with ease. I only wished I read the book prior to my parents slowing down. Once they are gone you cannot asked them any questions -- like "who's in the picture". The author has great tips on supporting your parents during the later years, knowing when your parents need more help than you can offer and easing the burden of their wonderful lifetime of memories. The lawyers get to handle the formal legal notifications but this book is really for the executors who have to clear up the STUFF. A great buy!
A gift of love between generations ... November 13, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Some things we just can't put on the back shelf, but before we all die we somehow manage to fill shelves . . . tons of them. Have you noticed, as a Baby Boomer, the sheer amount of clutter and junk in your parent's home? Your own? Chances are you don't have anything that would make an appraiser shout for joy on Antique Roadshow, but the local junk dealer might be happy as a clam to get some of it. In the event your parents become unable to live in their home due to disability or pass away you might just be taking a much closer look than you planned on. According to Julie Hall, author of the fabulous book, The Boomer Burden: DEALING WITH YOUR PARENTS' LIFETIME ACCUMULATION OF STUFF, you're going to be hit by a "flying brick." It isn't going to be a pretty sight.
When we Boomers were in our twenties, we all felt we were invincible. Nah, we're all going to live forever and nothing will happen to mom and dad. Think again. As Hall bluntly states, "even Lipitor won't keep your parents alive forever." The resulting estate, however palatial or humble . . . well, you gotta deal with it, like it or not. Known as "The Estate Lady," Julie has a great deal of experience and claims she can help the reader "clear out your parents' estate in seven to ten days." Sage advice includes dealing with the appointment of a legal representative, division of the estate, identity and appraisal of potential valuable items, how to minimize sibling rivalry, how to deal with those little skeletons in the closet, vultures and much more. The Boomers, now finding themselves sandwiched between caring for aging parents and their own children and grandchildren can use all the help they can get in times of crisis!
I was amazed by the originality, depth and usefulness of this book. I was literally burning the midnight oil trying to get to the end of this book. The topic and usefulness span generations and is a marvelous resource for not only the Boomer, but also an excellent preparation guide for the parent who wishes to ease the clutter conundrum for their children. This book can be a gift of love between generations and should not be overlooked.
Deb Fowler (Roundtable Reviews)
Cleaning House November 12, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Looks like a good book with lots of helpful information in dealing with the daunting task of cleaning out your parents house. I'm sure we will get some good use out of this book.
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