Good Reads

Life Falls Apart, but You Don’t Have To

By Julie Potiker Kindle; print

At one point in her life, Julie Potiker was so stressed that she began manifesting symptoms of a stroke. It was at this point she realized she needed to change her life and find better ways of managing the challenges she would inevitably face.

Now she’s sharing the methods she developed with you. In this compassionate and courageous new guide, Potiker shows you how to: • Find happiness apart from your children’s lives • Practice important self-care rituals • Rewire your own brain to receive happiness • Feel safe and comforted in the midst of the chaos • Listen to your inner critic without letting it tear you down

Potiker also introduces Jewish tradition into her mindfulness lessons and explains the importance of following your own spiritual and emotional values as you embark on this new journey.

Creative Engagement: A Handbook of Activities for People with Dementia

By Rachael Wonderlin and Geri M. Lotze, Ph.D. Kindle; print

In Creative Engagement, dementia activity expert Rachael Wonderlin and developmental psychology professor Geri M. Lotze provide dozens of creative, hands-on ways to engage with people living with cognitive loss. Teaching caregivers how to find dementia-friendly daily activities and introduce them into a person’s life, this comprehensive, empathetic guide is aimed at both family members and professionals.

Twelve chapters full of useful, tangible activities touch on a range of topics, including exercise, technology, cooking and baking, memory games, and arts and crafts.

Focusing on both group and individual dynamics, mundane activities, and specially tailored pursuits, Wonderlin and Lotze offer proven strategies for interacting with people living with dementia. The authors include detailed tips for building a dementia-friendly environment, creating a daily calendar, and scheduling community entertainment.

They also suggest special activities geared toward people in hospice care and give targeted advice for dealing with caregiver stress.

The Caregiver’s Encyclopedia: A Compassionate Guide to Caring for Older Adults

By Muriel R. Gillick, M.D. Kindle; print

Caregivers hold the key to the health, well-being, and happiness of their aging relatives, partners, or friends. The Caregiver’s Encyclopedia provides you with all of the information you need to take the best care of your loved one — from making major medical decisions to making sure you don’t burn out.

Muriel R. Gillick, M.D., is a geriatrician with more than 30 years’ experience caring for older people. This book highlights the importance of understanding your friends or family member’s overall health. With compassion and expertise, this book will help you “think like a doctor.” The book’s content:

• Helps you navigate the healthcare system • Shares important information about treating basic geriatric syndromes, including delirium, dementia, and falls • Teaches you about preventive-care options • Enables you to manage medical decisions related to both acute and chronic conditions

• Discusses what Medicare covers — and what it doesn’t • Weighs the risks and benefits of hospital vs. home, nursing home, or hospice care • Provides a detailed list of medical supplies you might want to keep on hand • Offers you additional resources and emotional support

When Caregiving Calls: Guidance as You Care for a Parent, Spouse, or Aging Relative

By Aaron Blight, Ed.D. Print

Aaron Blight has lived the caregiving experience many ways: as a family caregiver for a mother-in-law struggling with brain cancer as it stole her mental clarity and ultimately her life; as the owner of a home care company that supported thousands of families living their own versions of the same journey; and as a researcher, lecturer, and consultant traveling the world to learn from family caregivers and their professional helpers.

Now he shares his insights in 18 brief, thoughtful chapters that examine the many facets of caregiving. He explores how caregiving reshapes family relationships, challenges comfortable assumptions, and stresses your ability to manage your time, energy, and emotions.

Blight shows how the changing mental and physical state of a loved one can lead to growing vulnerability, need, and loneliness on the part of care receiver and caregiver alike. He shares stories that vividly capture the unique daily realities of the caregiving life. And he offers candid, practical advice that can help family caregivers do a better job of coping with the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual challenges they face.

The Caregiver’s Companion

By Deborah A. Boyle, MSN, RN, AOCNS, FAAN Kindle; print

As a family caregiver, you know all too well that the role comes with almost

no training, little warning, and minimal support from the healthcare team. You may be left feeling overwhelmed, overworked, and in over your head.

The caregiver’s world is forever changed when struggling with the “new norm” of caring for an ill loved one.

During a serious illness, family caregivers deliver most patient care. But little has been done to support this essential and ever-expanding role. This book aims to change this.

The Caregiver’s Companion is a heartfelt exploration into the plight of family caregivers. It includes current strategies, compelling research, and engaging exercises from the perspective of someone who has worn the shoes of both a family caregiver and a healthcare professional.

Author Deborah Boyle’s dual experiences as professional nurse and caregiver to her father and her husband allow for scientific and practical solutions to the many complex problems encountered in the family caregiver role.

The family caregiver’s journey is unlike any other. This book provides the direction you need to move forward.

Everything You Need to Know About Caregiving for Parkinson’s Disease

By Lianna Marie Kindle; print

Caregiving for those who suffer from Parkinson’s disease comes with many challenges, from how to deal with guilt and loneliness to avoiding burnout and figuring out what to expect from an unpredictable disease. When giving care, too often caregivers neglect their own well-being.

Everything You Need to Know About Caregiving for Parkinson’s Disease is not just about caring for your loved one, but also about taking care of yourself. Lianna Marie served as caregiver for more than 20 years after her mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Drawing on firsthand experience, her training as a nurse, and the many stories of others she has helped and counseled over the years, Marie shares her wisdom and advice — practical and emotional. Written accessibly and without jargon, Everything You Need to Know provides an essential resource full of useful information for all caregivers of those with Parkinson’s disease.

Parenting Your Parents

By Grant and Tammy Ethridge Audible; print

If you are currently providing care for your aging parents or facing the prospect of doing so in the near future, you are definitely not alone. Dr. Grant Ethridge and his wife, Tammy, have been there, having given care during their dads’ last days. They know the stress and uncertainty you face.

Through their story and those of other caregivers, the Ethridges share research and practical tips to aid you in dealing with everyday caregiving struggles and situations. You will learn how to decide which care is best, prepare legal documents, handle family disputes, and more, including biblical advice and encouragement.

Looking after an elderly or sick parent is a physically and emotionally draining experience. Let this book give you the tools you need to be successful without giving away your peace of mind in the process.

Where Should Mom Live? Living Arrangements for Older Adults

By Laura Town and Karen Hoffman Kindle; audible

Changing health needs of an older loved one can make it hard to know where they should live. Balancing their best interest with your abilities and resources can create stress and worry.

Preparing to make decisions about their care and housing in advance will help you focus your energy on your loved one and ease their transition from one living situation to another.

This book provides information about living arrangements, services, and facilities available for older adults. The simple checklists in this book will show you how to:

• Help your loved one maintain independence as long as possible • Modify your loved one’s home for safety and comfort • Determine the need for home services and home healthcare • Transition your loved one from their home to a caregiver’s home • Understand the pros and cons of moving your loved one into your home • Prevent caregiver burnout • Move your loved one to an assisted living or full-time care facility

In addition, this book also looks at units that provide specialized care for memory problems and discusses what to do in the event that your loved one is placed in a psychiatric facility.

Necessary Conversations: Between Families and Their Aging Parents

By Gerald W. Kaufman and L. Marlene Kaufman Print

In this timely book, longtime family counselors Gerald and Marlene Kaufman urge aging people, their adult children, family members, and other caretakers to talk directly with each other about the decisions that lie ahead as they age.

“Do it before a crisis hits,” say the Kaufmans. “A good time to start is when the parents retire.”

Necessary Conversations focuses on four primary areas:

• Parents’ finances

• Parents’ medical care

• Parents’ living arrangements • When to stop driving

This honest and resourceful guide for aging adults and their family members includes helpful suggestions for starting these conversations and overcoming confrontation.