Mark Stiles built The Boomer Guide out of his own family's experience, not a marketing exercise. Here is the story behind it, and the standards we hold ourselves to because of it.
Why this exists
Mark is part of what many families quietly experience today. He has five living parents: his father and stepmother, his mother, and both in-laws. All are in their late 70s and 80s, aging while still living independently. In 2025, navigating healthcare became a central part of his family's life: hospital visits, rehabilitation stays, ongoing doctor appointments, and the constant work of understanding medical language, paperwork, and care decisions.
In late 2024, Mark stepped away from his full-time role as Director of Marketing at a physical therapy company to build his own business. Not long after, caregiving made it clear how essential clear information and organization truly are. Through exam rooms, hospital hallways, and hard family conversations, he saw the same gaps that families face again and again. The Boomer Guide and the Caregiving Guides were built to give other families the organized starting point he wishes he had had.
Firsthand, not theoretical
Every guide in this collection is shaped by that same experience: the unfamiliar terms, the paperwork that arrives before you are ready for it, the questions you do not know to ask until you are already in the room. We write from having lived it, then check what we write against the organizations whose job it is to get the details right. See Our Sources for the specific organizations we draw from.
Educational and evidence-informed
These guides are organizing tools. They are not medical, legal, financial, tax, insurance, or emergency advice. Where a guide states a fact, such as a Medicare rule, a benefits threshold, or a legal term, it is built from publicly available guidance from established government and nonprofit sources, not from personal opinion presented as fact. Where a topic calls for a licensed professional, we say so directly and point you toward the right kind of expert to ask.
How we use AI
Our content is organized and drafted with AI assistance, fact-checked against official sources including CMS and SSA, and reviewed by Mark Stiles before publishing. A person is accountable for every page on this site.
Kept current
Programs and figures caregivers depend on change. Medicare premiums, Social Security cost-of-living adjustments, IRMAA thresholds, and similar figures are reviewed on a regular schedule, typically each November after the CMS and SSA announcements are released. Contact information and referral resources are checked quarterly. Every guide carries a "Last Updated" date so you know how current the information is.
If we get something wrong
We are building this collection carefully, but we are not infallible, and program rules do change. If you find information in one of our guides or articles that is outdated or inaccurate, tell us. Email support@caregivingguides.com with what you found and where. We will look into it and correct it promptly, and we would rather hear from you than have it sit wrong.
Who publishes The Boomer Guide
Publisher
Grey Beard Publishing, LLC
2222 W. Grand River Ave, Ste AOkemos, MI 48864
Mark Stiles is the founder and author. Grey Beard Publishing, LLC is the publishing company behind The Boomer Guide, the Caregiving Guides series, and the related titles.