Introduction. What This Book Is (and What It Is Not) -- Part I. Underlying Health State: -- 1. Why Health State Matters -- 2. Ingredients of the Underlying Health State -- 3. Thinking like a Geriatrician: Geriatric Syndromes -- 4.Determining Your Family Member's Health State -- Part II. Going to the Doctor: 5. The Role of the Primary Care Physician -- 6. What to Expect from Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants -- 7. What to Expect from Nurses, Social Workers, and Therapists -- 8. What to Expect from Medical Specialists -- 9. What a Geriatric Assessment Is and When to Ask for One -- Part III. Going to the Hospital: 10. The Perils of Hospitalization -- 11. Choosing a Hospital -- 12. Working with a Hospitalist -- 13. The Technological Imperative -- 14. Acute Care for the Elderly Units -- 15. Hospital-Based Palliative Care -- Part IV. Going to the Rehabilitation Facility: 16. Choosing a Rehab Facility -- 17. How Rehab Runs -- 18. Your Role in the Rehab -- 19. Hospital-Lite -- Another Role for Rehab -- 20. Discharge Home -- Part V. Chronic Care at Home: 21. Your Medical Bag -- 22. High Blood Pressure -- 23. High Cholesterol -- 24. Arthritis -- 25. Coronary Heart Disease -- 26. Diabetes -- 27. Chronic Kidney Disease -- 28. Heart Failure -- 29. Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias -- 30. Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease -- 31.Depression -- 32. Prevention -- Part VI. Acute Care at Home:33. Chest Pain -- 34. Shortness of Breath -- 35. Cough -- 36. Nausea and Vomiting -- 37. Constipation -- 38. Confusion -- 39. Dizziness -- 40. Bleeding -- 41. Abdominal Pain -- 42. Fever -- Part VII. Care in the Nursing Home: 43. Choosing a Nursing Home -- 44. Why You Will Still Be a Caregiver -- 45.Medical Care in the Nursing Home -- 46. Team Meetings in the Nursing Home -- Part VIII. Getting Additional Help: 47. Choosing a Health Plan -- 48. Paying for Health Care -- 49. Planning for Future Medical Care -- 50. Community Resources -- 51. Home Hospice -- 52. Involving the Rest of the Family -- 53. Caregiver Support -- Epilogue. Rest in Peace.