Decide where you'll live next, before someone else decides for you. Most moves happen in a hurry: after a fall, in a hospital hallway, or at a family dinner with brochures on the sideboard. Still My Call walks you through every option from staying home to a nursing home, with the money, the papers and the exact words to use with your kids, so the plan is yours. How to keep living at home safely, and what help to bring in first What Medicare and Medicaid really pay for, and what happens to your house Word-for-word scripts for the hospital and for "Mom, it's time" 95 pages · 14 chapters · 12 printable worksheets · instant PDF download It rarely starts with a decision. It starts with a Tuesday. Ruth fell on a Tuesday. She was reaching for a colander on the top shelf, the step stool tipped, and she spent the afternoon on her kitchen floor until the mail carrier heard her. By Friday she was in rehab. By the following Thursday her son had signed papers for a room in a care home two states away, near him. "Nobody knew what she wanted," he said, "so I did what I could." Ruth knew exactly what she wanted: her own kitchen, her own church, her own bridge group. She had simply never written it down. This book exists so that doesn't happen to you. Four moments that decide where you live The fall One bad afternoon can move you up the ladder in a week. The book covers the house fixes that matter first, in order, and a simple daily check-in so someone would notice within a day if anything went wrong. The hospital clipboard "We'd like to get you placed by tomorrow." You'll know your discharge rights, the fast appeal, the observation trap that catches people on rehab bills, and exactly what to say to the social worker. The Sunday dinner Your kids, worried, with a plan of their own. You get scripts for the conversation, a family meeting agenda, and an honest check for whether it really is time, based on what you can do, not your birthday. The signature Deeding the house to a child. Signing a care home contract as "responsible party." You'll know what to check before you sign anything, which papers to have in place, and what to ask an elder law attorney first. There are five rungs, not two Most people picture two choices: home, or a home. That's how they end up in the wrong place. The book walks the whole ladder: Home as is: your house, your routines, a few smart changes Home with help: paid or family help a few hours or days a week The in-between options: adult day programs, care programs that come to you, a smaller place Assisted living: your own apartment with meals and daily help Nursing home: round-the-clock nursing care For each rung you write your own trigger, a plain sentence that says what would move you up: "If I can no longer do my own grocery shopping, I'll hire help two mornings a week." When someone tells you it's time, you open the folder. What's inside Still My Call: why to plan now, and the ladder you'll set your own triggers for Living Alone, Really: the hard parts, the good days, and a check-in someone will notice Making the House Work for You: the first fixes for falls, room by room Help at Home, With You as the Boss: agency or direct, the interview, and when it isn't working The Rungs Between Home and a Nursing Home: adult day, PACE, assisted living, continuing care, the regret test What It Really Costs: each option side by side, using your own numbers What Medicare Pays For, and What It Doesn't: rehab, home health, and the everyday-care gap Medicaid, Your House and Your Savings: the look-back, the house, and gifts to your kids The Papers That Keep Your Kids From Guessing: power of attorney, health care proxy, will Who to Trust With Your Money: scam calls, family who take advantage, bank safeguards When the Hospital Says You Can't Go Home: discharge rights, the fast appeal, the first week home Choosing a Place: Beyond the Tour: inspection reports, the 7 p.m. visit, the contract "Mom, It's Time": when it really is time, and how to talk about it Your Plan, Written Down: a few pages you hand to the people who need them Plus every chapter's red lines on one page, 12 printable worksheets that become your written plan, and sources listed chapter by chapter. Every chapter opens with a story, settles one decision, and ends with a checklist and a few words for your adult children. Researched, not made up The stories are illustrations. The facts come from the source. Every figure and rule in the book comes from a source you can check, listed at the back: mostly the government's own pages, including Medicare.gov, Medicaid.gov, CMS, the CDC, the IRS, the FTC, the FBI and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Rules and dollar amounts change, so the book tells you where to look up the current figure. Who it's for You're in your 70s or 80s, living on your own, and want to stay in charge You can feel the "it's time" conversation coming You've just had a fall or a hospital stay and want a plan before the next one You're an adult child who wants to help without taking over Skip it if You're caring for someone with dementia; the book only touches on it You're looking for hospice or end-of-life planning You want legal advice for your state; the book tells you what to ask an attorney Buying it for a parent? Give it before the conversation, not instead of it. Each chapter ends with a short section written to adult children, and Chapter 13 covers the "it's time" talk from both sides of the table. A parent who has been asked what they want is far easier to help than one who has been told. Questions What do I get? A 95-page PDF you download right after checkout. Read it on a tablet, phone or computer, or print it; the worksheets are made to be filled in with a pencil. Does it give legal or financial advice for my state? No. It explains the rules in general terms and tells you exactly what to ask an elder law attorney, a tax professional, or your state's Medicare counseling program (SHIP). Who is Joan Whitaker? Joan Whitaker is a pen name, and the stories in the book are composites based on common experiences. The figures and rules come from the sources listed at the back. What if it doesn't help? If this book doesn't help you, email me within 30 days for a full refund. Write it down while it's still your call. This book is general information, not medical, legal, tax or financial advice. Rules vary by state; check with a professional before acting.