When you are caring for an aging or ill loved one, having a support system can make all the difference in your health and emotional well-being. Family members, friends and medical professionals are wonderful resources to lean on during difficult times, but there are also many books written by and for caregivers that can bring perspective and understanding only caregivers can understand. Below are some examples.
A Bittersweet Season: Caring for Our Aging Parent and Ourselves
Jane Gross
“When Jane Gross found herself suddenly thrust into a caretaker role for her eighty-five year-old mother, she was forced to face challenges that she had never imagined. As she and her younger brother struggled to move her mother into an assisted living facility, deal with seemingly never-ending costs, and adapt to the demands on her time and psyche, she learned valuable and important lessons. Here, the longtime New York Times expert on the subject of elderly care and the founder of the New Old Age blog shares her frustrating, heartbreaking, enlightening, and ultimately redemptive journey, providing us along the way with valuable information that she wishes she had known earlier. We learn why finding a general practitioner with a specialty in geriatrics should be your first move when relocating a parent; how to deal with Medicaid and Medicare; how to understand and provide for your own needs as a caretaker; and much more. Wise, smart, and ever-helpful, A Bittersweet Season is an essential guide to caring for aging parents.” (Source: Amazon)
The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer’s Disease, Related Dementias, and Memory Loss
Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rabbins
“When someone in your family suffers from Alzheimer’s disease or other related memory loss diseases, both you and your loved one face immense challenges. For over thirty years, this book has been the trusted bible for families affected by dementia disorders. Now completely revised and updated, this guide features the latest information on the causes of dementia, managing the early stages of dementia, the prevention of dementia, and finding appropriate living arrangements for the person who has dementia when home care is no longer an option.” (Source: Amazon).
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Family Caregivers: 101 Stories of Love, Sacrifice, and Bonding
Joan Lunden and Amy Newmark
“Do you have a family member who requires constant care? You are not alone. This collection offers support and encouragement in its 101 stories for family caregivers of all ages, including the “sandwich” generation caring for a family member while raising their children. With stories by those on the receiving end of the care too. These stories of love, sacrifice, and lessons will inspire and uplift family members making sacrifices to make sure their loved ones are well cared for, whether in their own homes or elsewhere.” (Source: Amazon)
No Saints Around Here: A Caregiver’s Days
Susan Allen Toth
“’We all need someone to hear us,’ Toth says of the millions who devote their days to the care of a loved one. Her memoir is at once an eloquent expression of that need and an opening for others. No Saints Around Here is the beginning of a conversation in which so many of us may someday find our voices.” (Source: Amazon).
The Caregiving Wife’s Handbook: Caring for Your Seriously Ill Husband, Caring for Yourself
Diana B. Denholm
“The Caregiving Wife's Handbook aims to help women get through their husbands' illness and death with compassion, emotionally whole and without regret by helping them communicate clearly—and in steps—about issues affecting this unique caregiving relationship.
“Without specific direction, many women find themselves over the top with stress as their lives change radically. As a board certified medical psychotherapist and primary caregiver, Diana Denholm recognized the need for a step-by-step process to help women communicate with their husbands to avoid irreparable damage and regret.” (Source: Amazon).
Daily Comforts for Caregivers
Pat Samples
“For those who feel overwhelmed by the day-to-day struggles of caregiving, this charming little book offers gentle guidance and support.” (Source: Amazon).
Passages in Caregiving: Turning Chaos into Confidence
Gail Sheehy
“Gail Sheehy, author of the groundbreaking Passages—which was a New York Times bestseller for more than three years—now brings us Passages in Caregiving. In this essential guide, the acclaimed expert on the now aging Baby Boomer generation outlines nine crucial steps for effective, successful family caregiving, turning chaos into confidence during this most crucial of life stages.” (Source: Amazon).
It’s important to take care of yourself while you are providing that much needed and appreciated care for others. There are many resources available to caregivers, including these books. For additional information about help caring for a loved one, call 1-833-453-1107.
