Effective Elder Caregiving: A How-to Guide for Primary and Employed Caregivers

By Barbara Rothschild Allen

Are you a: Primary caregiver for a family member who needs help? Parent of your own child assisting your aging parent? Spouse attempting to care for a beloved? Personal caregiver for an elderly... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1932196986
• ISBN13: 9781932196986
• Release Date: August 2006
• Publisher: Special Delivery Books
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.79 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 0.5" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Excellent Roadmap for Family Caregivers

Family caregivers taking on the new role of primary caregiver for an older relative need directions on when, where and how to access supports and services for their relatives and themselves. Effective Elder Caregiving is an excellent roadmap for family caregivers. Barbara Rothschild Allen and Lauren Barrett share their first hand experience on providing care, along with practical tips and techniques on asking for help, navigating the resource systems, and managing the physical, emotional and financial impacts of family caregiving. Individuals new to caregiving will find this book helpful and inspiring. -Patricia Bordie, Program Manager Capital Area Agency on Aging

Great Resource for Caring for Your Loved Ones

With an aging population and millions of baby boomers set to retire during the next two decades, "Effective Elder Caregiving" by Barbara Rothschild Allen and Lauren Barrett could not be a more timely addition to the current literature. Although in better health than their parents' generation, today's aging generation is still likely to face an inevitable condition that will result in most adults needing some sort of institutional or home health care in their elder years. This book is, in fact, the result of just such an experience, both from the personal (or primary) and professional caretakers' experiences. Indeed, the book is divided into two sections: the first, the story and anecdotes of a primary caretaker, in this case the spouse of an elder needing care, and the second, the approach of someone in what is sure to be a continually expanding job market, that of the professional caretaker who works in a home-based setting to supplement the care of a primary caretaker (usually a spouse or other family member). Both sections provide useful advice for caretakers, with the second half being the stronger, more detailed section. Readers will come to this subject with a variety of needs, and this well-thought-out book provides a wealth of information on the subject, while acknowledging that each case and patient set of needs will be unique. Information is divided into short, manageable chapters, which can be digested easily in random moments available to those who are already facing caregiving demands. An extensive reference section, including worksheets, is also included. Topics covered range from selecting professional caregivers to establishing routines to dealing with psychological issues to addressing a patient's decline, and much more important information on effective caregiving at all stages. It speaks not only to the needs of the elder requiring assistance, but also to the needs of the primary caretaker who may feel overwhelmed by the burdens and stress of caring for a loved one. The book addresses both immediate and long-distance oversight, immediate and anticipatory needs. In short, the book is packed with a wealth of information that can help anyone in any stage of caregiving. Some may find the personal anecdotes and pictures included in the book unnecessary, while others will relate to the human story that gave inspiration to the book's creation. Everyone will benefit, however, from the strong research on relevant statistics that open the book. In short, for everyone facing a caretaking situation, this book has much to offer. Christine Zibas, reviewer for BookPleasures