Family members, and sometimes close friends, are often called upon to act as caregivers to ill or aged people they care about or for whom they are responsible. Although there are many rewarding outcomes of the time spent between the courageous and dedicated caregiver and the care-receiver*, the caregivers are usually unprepared, untrained and unsupported. The caregivers are also often isolated. These factors can put a huge amount of stress on non-professional or family caregivers. Attending a caregiver support group focusing on specific issues is of great benefit for caregivers. Such groups can include those facilitated by professionals such as social workers, counselors and group facilitators, and those facilitated by lay persons, often themselves caregivers. The intention of Caregiver Support is to provide content for support group facilitators and caregivers that touches on crucial topics.

Today more than 40 million people in the U.S. find themselves responsible for caring for a parent, relative, or friend. Building Better Caregivers, developed by the author team of the bestselling Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions, shares the best in caregiving research and the most important lessons learned from thousands of caregivers. With a focus on reducing stress through the use of practical skills and tools, this book will help you manage your caregiving tasks so you can maintain a happy, fulfilling life while also meeting your caregiving obligations.

"Includes free access to download forms kit"--cover.

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.

The essential health reference for the 90's.

This simple, easy to read, 100 page guidebook helps family members, friends, and caregivers to better understand the changes that come with advancing dementia or other impairments in thinking, reasoning or processing information. It also reinforces the impact of Teepa Snow's guidance and person-centered care interventions including the GEMS and Positive Approach to Care techniques. The goal is to provide better support and care practices when someone is living with an ever-changing condition. By appreciating what has changed but leveraging what is still possible, care partners can choose interactions that are more positive, communication that is more productive, and care that is more effective and less challenging for all involved.

Drawing on his more than twenty years as a practicing physical therapist, author Kevin Lockette has compiled an unparalleled resource for home caregivers: A Caregiver's Complete Guide for Safe Mobility and Independence in the Home delivers exactly what its title states. Lockette's numerous strategies and tips focus on how to offer safe caregiving, especially as it relates to the care-receiver's mobility and independence. But he also gives attention to the safety of the caregiver, because, as he wisely notes, "If a caregiver is injured, it frequently results in the care-receiver losing the ability to remain in a community setting." This book has easily referenced chapters on such topics as body mechanics (including principles of safe lifting), guidelines for transfers (including considerations for body type and various disabilities), adaptive and assistive devices for the care-receiver, fall prevention and fall-proofing the home, and information on types of wheelchairs. He also includes detailed instructions (with illustrations) on appropriate exercises for the minimally to moderately impaired. A helpful glossary is provided, as are several appendices, which offer important information on various caregiver associations, caregiver-specific Web sites, and numerous connected resources [cover].