And Thou Shalt Honor: The Caregiver's Companion - Softcover

9781579547745: And Thou Shalt Honor: The Caregiver's Companion

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1579547745 ISBN 13: 9781579547745

Publisher: Rodale Books, 2003

One of my colleagues once said: There are only four kinds of people in the world--those who have been caregivers, those who currently are caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers. --Rosalynn Carter

In the groundbreaking PBS special And Thou Shalt Honor, producers Harry Wiland and Dale Bell bring to light the challenges facing today's caregivers. This companion volume picks up where the show leaves off, providing the kind of information and practical support essential for anyone in a caregiving situation.

More than 54 million American families are involved in the care of loved ones who are elderly or ill. And millions more will be affected in the years to come. If you're a caregiver, or you expect to become one, And Thou Shalt Honor: The Caregiver's Companion offers help and hope.

Page after page of useful advice draws on the expertise of the nation's top caregiving researchers and advocates, as well as the real-world wisdom of caregivers just like you. You'll find insights and answers on all aspects of providing care, including:

- Reaching out to a loved one in need of help
- Managing day-to-day caregiving tasks
- Accessing public and private caregiving resources
- Navigating the legal and financial maze
- Assembling a caregiving support network
- Understanding the changing family dynamic
- Surviving and thriving in the caregiver role

Complete with action plans and checklists for key caregiving issues, plus a comprehensive directory of essential caregiving resources, And Thou Shalt Honor: The Caregiver's Companion reaches out to all caregivers--and to those they love. Make it your companion for the caregiving journey.

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From the Inside Flap:

My mom has become so forgetful that I'm afraid for her safety. How do I intervene?"

"I want to care for my husband at home, but I can't quit my job. Where can I go for help?"

"I've heard of people having to 'spend down' their life savings to qualify for Medicaid. What can my parents do to protect their assets?"

Questions like these are part and parcel of the caregiving experience. Finding answers hasn't been easy. That is, until now.

And Thou Shalt Honor: The Caregiver's Companion examines all the issues that matter most to caregivers. Whether you're organizing a loved one's financial affairs, or shopping around for home care services, or contemplating a person's long-term care for the first time, you can find the guidance and support you need right here.

Of course, some issues can be complicated or sensitive, like advising a parent to obtain a living will or persuading a relative to assist with a loved one's care. And Thou Shalt Honor: The Caregiver's Companion helps tackle these, too, by providing specific strategies to steer through the most challenging of caregiving situations.

In fact, every chapter offers a wealth of information and advice to ease and enrich the caregiving role. You'll even find tips on caring for the caregiver--because, after all, if you don't look after yourself, how can you look after someone else?

Beyond all the practical solutions to real-world caregiving concerns, this book provides a welcome sense of community with others who are caregivers, whether by choice or by necessity. You'll hear from people just like you, in situations just like yours. You'll appreciate the candor of their stories and draw strength from their words.

Caregiving, after all, may be the most universal of life experiences. It crosses all world cultures and touches all ethnic groups and economic classes. As a caregiver, you're carrying on a centuries-old tradition--one rooted in love, respect, and above all, honor. With And Thou Shalt Honor: The Caregiver's Companion, you'll have the tools and resources that empower you to truly embrace the caregiving role.

About the Author:

Beth Witrogen McLeod is a consultant, lecturer, journalist, and author whose book Caregiving: The Spiritual Journey of Love, Loss, and Renewal was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. She also wrote and produced an award-winning series called The Caregivers for the San Francisco Examiner. Her articles on eldercare and on spirituality and health have appeared in a variety of publications, including Good Housekeeping, Self, Family Circle, and Health, as well as on Web sites such as ThirdAge.com and WebMD.com. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin and the University of California, Berkeley, she currently resides in the San Francisco Bay area.

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