(Merriman, Melanie P.) Melanie P. Merriman spent twenty five years as a hospice consultant and is a recognized expert in quality of life at the end of life. In her poignant and timely memoir, Holding the Net: Caring for My Mother on the Tightrope of Aging (Green Writers Press) Merriman shares her struggle to care for her fiercely independent aging mother. Written for people who have cared for a parent, are currently facing that challenge, or are aging parents themselves, Holding the Net offers practical details about the effects of aging on the body and mind, living arrangements for older people, health care decisions, and surviving rehab. It also challenges the notion that anyone can be an expert when it comes to caring for an aging parent, and encourages us to simply do our best.