This volume provides a practical exploration of one of today's most complex and challenging issues—the care of an elderly parent—with an innovative approach that emphasizes how rewarding the caregiver/care-receiver relationship can be. For anyone facing this often overwhelming situation, Sustenance and Hope for Caregivers of Elderly Parents: Bread of Angels offers a wealth of insights from experienced caregivers, extraordinary personal stories, and most importantly, reassurance and support. It is a refreshing new vision of the positive potential for caregiving and the rewards that come with evolving relationships between adult children and their parents. Gloria G. Barsamian's remarkably perceptive new volume dispels the myth that caretaking is a thankless burden. Like no other work, it captures the emotions of today's millions of caregivers, as well as care-receivers, spouses, and grandchildren. A longtime social worker, Barsamian shows how old ways of thinking about caregiving can be replaced with new, healthier possibilities that enrich the lives of caregivers and care-receivers.

This much-needed book provides honest, clear, and helpful medical information for older adults and their caregivers, written in an easily understandable language. There are many myths and much misinformation about aging. At the same time, there are few trustworthy books on the subject. Aging, But Never Old: The Realities, Myths, and Misrepresentations of the Anti-Aging Movement was written to address those myths and fill that gap. Written by an eminent geriatric specialist, this book will educate readers about the specialty of geriatric medicine, helping them understand what true geriatric care is and what it can do for older adults. The book opens with a comparison of scientifically sound geriatric medicine as compared to its arch rival, the "anti-aging business." It goes on to discuss the most important medical issues an older adult will face, explaining them in layman's terms and through the use of case examples. Full of sage advice, humor, and easy-to-remember suggestions pertaining to each issue discussed, this upbeat volume will help older adults and their children and caregivers better navigate the increasingly complex medical options older adults now face.

A clear, concise, and essential guide providing key information about cancer survivors and their needs—and how those needs can best be met. Excellent Care for Cancer Survivors: A Guide to Fully Meet Their Needs in Medical Offices and in the Community is edited by the director of the Lance Armstrong Cancer Survivorship Program at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and comprised of articles by experts from that prestigious institution, from the Harvard Medical School, and other leading cancer programs. Its goal is simple: to assure that the millions of cancer survivors in the United States get the help they need to live life to its fullest. This timely work, enriched by conversations with cancer survivors themselves, explains the array of challenges that may affect survivors, from physical needs to psychological, spiritual, sexual, and financial issues. Topics such as nutrition and exercise are also addressed, as are risk assessment, rehabilitation, and possible cognitive dysfunction after chemotherapy. A final section explains the nuts and bolts of starting a professional cancer survivorship program, from staffing to fundraising, exploring what can and is being done to help cancer survivors in different settings achieve optimal health and quality of life.

A prominent geriatric psychiatrist details the good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of places where those with dementia are treated—from emergency rooms and psychiatric hospitals to assisted living facilities and nursing homes. The Harsh Realities of Alzheimer's Care: An Insider's View of How People with Dementia Are Treated in Institutions is the first book of its kind. Written by an eminent geriatric psychiatrist who has worked with dementia patients in more than 70 facilities, the book distills all he has learned about dementia care, for better and, more often, for worse. Both a shocking exposé and a practical guide, the book takes readers into nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospitals. It reveals the inadequacies and dangers of these institutions, detailing issues that result in poor care including federal standards for minimum staff training that are, in some cases, lower than those established for dog groomers. The author cites improvements that must be made in emergency rooms and inpatient psychiatric facilities treating victims of dementia, and he documents the downside of memory clinics. But there are steps caregivers can take to protect their loved ones—and themselves. Each chapter concludes with "reality lessons" that offer practical, affordable strategies for coping with dementia's many challenges.

A new work on the history of vitamins and the brilliant men and women who discovered the existence and nature of these small molecules so vital to our health. Vitamin Discoveries and Disasters: History, Science, and Controversies describes the emergence of nutritional science and its contributions to our understanding of how the body functions. It is an absorbing look at the men and women, many little known in their lifetimes, whose medical detective work helped us conquer a number of devastating health conditions, including some forms of mental illness. Each chapter of Vitamin Discoveries and Disasters focuses on a specific vitamin, describing the researchers, the research, and the historic and scientific contexts for its discovery. Together, these chapters chart the ongoing conflict between physicians who saw illness as caused by organisms and those who saw illness as a result of dietary deficiency. A concluding chapter shows how our stronger grasp of the effects of vitamin deficiencies on large populations can be used to the utmost benefit of society.

This empowering book provides a comprehensive resource to help readers of all ages understand pain, seek the right diagnosis and treatment, and allow them to take control of their pain. Unfortunately, pain is a universal human experience. For many, their experience of pain transcends an occasional or nagging discomfort and disrupts their lives. Understanding Pain: What You Need to Know to Take Control presents insights that will be useful to anyone who wants to be more knowledgeable about recognizing pain conditions through symptoms and telltale signs, and needs to be fully informed about the various treatment options available. Providing information that is at once cutting-edge, comprehensive, and easy-to-understand, the chapters also provide the resources needed to obtain further information about the topic. The book covers all major pain syndromes in a manner accessible to those without backgrounds in science or pain treatment, explicitly explaining symptoms, tests that may be needed, and treatments and rehabilitation techniques that are possible. The last section of the text discusses pain issues of specific populations, such as children, the elderly, and women during childbirth.