Family caregiving affects millions of Americans every day, in all walks of life. At least 17.7 million individuals in the United States are caregivers of an older adult with a health or functional limitation. The nation's family caregivers provide the lion's share of long-term care for our older adult population. They are also central to older adults' access to and receipt of health care and community-based social services. Yet the need to recognize and support caregivers is among the least appreciated challenges facing the aging U.S. population. Families Caring for an Aging America examines the prevalence and nature of family caregiving of older adults and the available evidence on the effectiveness of programs, supports, and other interventions designed to support family caregivers. This report also assesses and recommends policies to address the needs of family caregivers and to minimize the barriers that they encounter in trying to meet the needs of older adults.

"Nurses play a vital role in improving the safety and quality of patient car -- not only in the hospital or ambulatory treatment facility, but also of community-based care and the care performed by family members. Nurses need know what proven techniques and interventions they can use to enhance patient outcomes. To address this need, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), with additional funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has prepared this comprehensive, 1,400-page, handbook for nurses on patient safety and quality -- Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. (AHRQ Publication No. 08-0043)." - online AHRQ blurb, http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/

Caring for a loved one at home. What’s really involved? And what does it mean for your family and future? Tens of millions of Americans have had these questions and more as they prepare for this unsettling yet necessary task. The Family Caregiver’s Guide fills in the gaps, connecting the dots between research and real life. Drawing on the author’s extensive caregiving experience, this book provides strategies to care for your loved one, inside and out, as well as for yourself—including how to use your natural skills in your new role, and which skills you may need to add. You’ll discover how to set up your home for caregiving, including a safety checklist, equipment suggestions, and words you should know. And for those days that are more than a handful, you’ll find positive affirmations, a section on facing and accepting illness, and smart steps at the end of each chapter, in case you need guidance in a hurry. Caregiving has both rewards and challenges. But through it all, you’ll discover what’s most important—that caregiving is love in action.

Caring for an older family member with physical or cognitive impairments is a difficult, strenuous process. Caregivers often struggle to balance their own needs with those of the care recipient. Their relationships with family, friends, coworkers, and even the care recipient can suffer as well. As a result, family members often seek professional help to guide them through the caregiving process. This book presents Caregiver Family Therapy (CFT), a systems approach to treating families that care for an aging adult. CFT consists of three core stages: Identifying the problem Structuring caregiver roles Ensuring caregiver self-care Transition stages bridge one core stage to the next, helping caregivers structure care for the older adult, examine the impact of caregiving role structures, and consider broader effects of caregiving. As new challenges arise, the stages are repeated and the CFT process begins anew. Full of rich clinical examples, this book will help therapists and other service providers meet the complex, diverse needs of caregiving families.

An AARP book for caregivers combining day-to-day advice and uplifting guidance in a daily meditations format. Family care giving has its challenges: emotional overload, time constraints, anxiety, burnout, missed work, adult sibling conflicts, and marital issues. AARP Meditations for Caregivers blends emotional and spiritual motivation to minimize the strains while helping caregivers view their work as a mission from the heart. Chapters are organized by theme, including topics such as accepting your feelings, knowing your limits, seeking support, and managing stress. Each reading offers a poignant meditation, an anecdote drawn from the author's personal or clinical experience, and hands-on or psychological advice to foster coping skills and a sense of fulfillment. The meditations in this dispensable book will provide you with solutions to typical care giving challenges, offer relief and renewal through mindfulness, and inspire you to find meaning and value in the work you do. /DIV

How can caregivers fulfill their role as a caregiver without losing themselves in the process? Fulfilling the role of family caregiver is hard work, even if chosen willingly as an act of love to another. While the emotional, physical, and spiritual toll of caregiving is well documented, the high level of self-love and self-care required within the caregiver to successfully put the needs of others first without self-destructing is not. Caregiving can be a rewarding experience for all involved, but the stress of being a caregiver can lead to burnout and exhaustion and, in some cases, financial peril IF an Aging Plan is not in place. Consequently, the stress involved in caregiving causes caregivers to put themselves and their well-being in the background and focus on their needs last. Contributing to the level of stress is the fact that many caregivers are financially contributing to their aging loved ones' needs while also caring for that loved one. All this ongoing self-sacrifice causes a phenomenon known as compassion fatigue, leading caregivers to become the "invisible patient." In The Invisible Patient, senior care advisor and caregiver advocate Annalee Kruger teaches caretakers how to appreciate the blessings of being a caregiver while also looking after themselves. It is not a luxury for caregivers to practice strong self-care -- it is a necessity. Caregiving can be a positive experience IF families better understand aging, understand the disease their loved one has, learn how to improve family communication, and have an Aging Plan. The Invisible Patient provides inspiration, encouragement, and step-by-step guidance to ease the caregiving journey. Kruger leaves no stone unturned, providing personal anecdotes and scenarios about the caregiving process, and includes numerous references and resources in this guide to caring for the caregiver.

Caregiving is hard. For most families, it is an unexpected change to your life that you make without question because you are caring for a loved one. Let us help you make things a little easier with common sense and proven ideas. A unique blend of decades of long term care experience and quality of life experience and two decades of caring for a loved one at home led to the Activities for the Family Caregiver: Caregiving 101 book. The book offers information and insight to enhance quality of life for family caregivers and their loved ones. Whether it is heart disease, cancer, stroke, COPD, ALS, Parkinson's, dementia, Alzheimer's or any issue where you are forced to care for someone, we can help. Learn new communication and engagement strategies to improve time spent with your loved one. Gain new insight as you learn the "how to's" and "why" techniques of activities of daily living and leisure. Discover how to turn daily activities and routines into opportunities to start some joy. Written by nationally-recognized leaders, Activities for the Family Caregiver: Lewy Body Dementia: How to Engage / How to Live provides much-needed information to address the unique social needs of those with LBD and those who care for them. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS BOOK Lewy Body Dementia Overview Family, Friends and the Benefits of Activities Know Your Loved One-Information Gathering and Assessment Communicating and Motivating for Success Customary Routines and Preferences Planning and Executing Activities Leisure Activity Categories - Types, Topics, and Tips Activities of Daily Living - Tips and Suggestions Home Preparation Personal History Form