Alive and Kicking…Legal Advice for Boomers! by Kenney F. Hegland and Robert B. Fleming (Carolina Academic Press, 2007) is a book packed with good information. Although the authors are lawyers, the book goes into many subjects, other than legal advice, related to getting older and would be helpful to the elderly, near elderly and those interested in the elderly.

Alive and Kicking is an easy read. It’s written in a conversational style and is laced with humor and witty sayings. Subjects range from staying healthy and coping with death to estate planning and trusts. Much of the advice given is general, not specific. The authors refer readers to lawyers for specific legal advice and other professionals for non-legal advice. They even caution using self-help books for drafting legal documents.

I especially found the chapters on wills and estate planning (Chapter 24) , trusts (chapter 26) and probate (chapters 25 and 37) very helpful.

There are few weaknesses in the book, with the exception that several chapters, not related to the law are, in my view, too overly general. For example, in the chapter on home care (Chapter 32), the authors advise: “If you are caring for an elder in your home, take a safety walk. Put yourself in their shoes.” Then they list some simple things to look out for like “Are your rugs secure?” (p. 218) that some would feel is just plain common sense. Note - My wife, a retired RN who worked with the elderly, thought this was good advice, that many would not consider.

Overall, I highly recommend this reasonably priced book. It is especially a great resource for “baby boomers”. Being a boomer myself, and facing many issues related to getting older, I learned much and it gave me lots to think about.

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Dan England’s posts can also be found at Getting Elected Blogline and Townhall. Dan’s website is GettingElected.com and he is the author of So You Want to Run for Political Office and Welcome to the Real Corporate World.