Death and Taxes: Fallout from the Baby Boom is full of experienced-based learning about one of life's hardest lessons, death. While many don't even think about such things until forced to face one's own death or that of someone close, this book provides plenty of examples of why living in denial can only complicate this issue. There are plenty of contingency plans that you can put into place today for very little money or even free.

The lessons provided in handling the final act of a loved one are being provided by someone who has actually been there for three generations of loved ones. There are numerous "experts" out there that will make suggestions about financial planning, legal documents, etc. but most of them are missing one key ingredient. That ingredient is the act of actually helping a loved one outside of their working life. While you may still need professional assistance to set up certain contingency plans, it is not actually required, and many can be accomplished without any assistance, and often for FREE.

Death and Taxes: Fallout from the Baby Boom aims to provide a complete picture of the looming eldercare crisis. There are many facets to the situation beyond the size of the demographic that has begun aging into their 70s. Fewer children born to subsequent generations, a growing age gap between generations, and increased life expectancy all serve to compound the elder care issue. Eldercare has many facets related to health, finances, and safety for those who would support our elder population. Most of these issues are intertwined, thus requiring caregivers to maintain a holistic approach. Supporting our eldest family members is averaging three years worth of care coming from a combination of family members and professionals. There are many professionals offering guidance related to these issues, but most are missing the first-hand experience in caring for a loved one near death. Avoiding such conversations within a family can be costly for all parties. That cost will be more than money; it will also impose health and emotional taxes upon all involved. While ignorance may be bliss, denial regarding death is just unnatural. It will happen to us all and quite likely before most of us are ready. The correct conversations and documentation can make a difficult situation easier for all as we handle the fallout from the baby boom.

Bridges Washington is a project manager, teacher, software engineer, and the author of a new novel Death and Taxes: Fallout from the Baby Boom. From time to time, life has a way of throwing us a curve. In Bridges' first title, he discusses just how all-consuming the impending death of those closest can become, and offers suggestions to navigate the issues based upon his experience handling three generations of death. Ultimately his first title aims to ease the headaches that accompany the heartaches associated with the death of family.

He was born in the deep south in the early seventies. Eventually, family events landed him in the Mid-Atlantic region. He fancies himself a renaissance man in pursuit of as many talents as this world has to offer. After a half dozen years in the hands-on side of construction, he attended college to pursue the design side. After earning a B.S., he quickly landed at an Architectural firm in the region. He spent the next decade ascending the ranks, including Project Manager for multi-million dollar projects, creating everything from construction estimates to photorealistic renderings.

He ultimately decided to return to school to pursue a B.S. in computer science. During this second trip, he was working in 3/4 time in his primary profession, teaching two classes to the next generation of engineers, and at times, carrying a full-time course schedule. His aptitude for computer science earned him an internship with a billion-dollar agile software company. After spending nearly two years as a software engineer, a family situation emerged that would be cause for a life detour.

​

This time, the demands that accompany honoring a loved one's end-of-life wishes would be high, and ultimately, he decided to take a break from his life to see things through. After assuming power of attorney and primary caregiver roles for his grandmother, he spent a few months getting familiar with in-home hospice support before her frail old-body finally gave up one sunny April afternoon. He spent the next few months while initiating probate, reflecting upon all the ways he had witnessed the death of family members. Not just how they died, but all the other nuances that family contributes to how events unfold.

​

After all the reflection, he decided to do things his way. Ultimately, choosing to spend time freelancing all of the skills he had acquired. Be it construction, design, programming, and even the end-of-life skills earned through his involvement during the final days of three generations of family, by writing a book. He is still pursuing a varied skill set by taking period-correct blacksmithing courses, modern welding classes, and learning new programming languages as part of his life mission. After all, they say variety is the spice of life, and to that, he would say mm-hmm good.