BEFORE THE CALL A Family Guide to Planning Ahead for the People You Love Most Every adult child knows the fear, even if they never say it out loud: the phone call. The one that changes everything. The one nobody is ever ready for. Eric Gage wasn't ready either - until he decided to be. When he finally sat down with his aging parents to talk through the questions most families avoid - Where is the will? Who has Power of Attorney? What do you actually want, for your care and for your home? - he realized how much he didn't know, despite a lifetime of loving them well. Before the Call is the guide Eric wished he'd had. Written not by a geriatric specialist or an elder law attorney, but by a son living this in real time, it walks readers through the conversations, documents, and decisions that too many families put off until a crisis forces the issue. Practical, warm, and grounded in lived experience, this book helps adult children move from good intentions to real preparedness - before the emergency, not during it. Whether your parents live down the street or across the country, Before the Call gives you a clear place to start: a framework for the conversation, a checklist for the details, and the reassurance that you don't have to have all the answers. You just have to start. Includes the complete Family Preparedness Checklist, covering every category from legal documents to daily logistics - designed to be worked through with your parent, one section at a time.
