Caregiving is a tricky process and a massive adjustment, especially when becoming a caregiver for someone you love. It’s a journey many people have gone through, and so there are several books you can access to help you through your endeavor as a caregiver for your loved one.
If you’re interested in learning more about some of the best books for assistance in your caregiving journey, you’re in the right place. Whether you’re beginning your adventure or in the middle of it, it always helps to have assistance on your side. Read on as we dive into seven books we recommend for your caregiving journey.
Be the Noodle
The first book we recommend for your caregiving journey is Be the Noodle by Lois Kelly. The novel speaks about caregivers assisting loved ones who are close to death, keeping a humorous yet loving and practical tone as it provides assistance and encouragement to those going through this process.
In Be the Noodle, you will find fifty practical ways to be the best, most compassionate, and effective caregiver. It goes through the journey of a woman caring for her mother dying of cancer and is sure to provide strength, allow you to face your fears, and provide ample room for laughing and crying as you bask in this book’s empathy.
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Already Toast
The next book we recommend for caregivers is Already Toast: Caregiving and Burnout in America by Kate Washington. This novel documents one woman’s struggle to provide care for her spouse after he falls seriously ill. It takes a peek at the role of unpaid caregivers in America and the lack of societal support in the country.
Already Toast is an excellent novel to read if you’re an unpaid caregiver for a loved one and want to feel connected to the millions of people across the country who are in the same boat as you. It also brings to light a critical conversation, one that should be discussed by those who want a better future for the care of their loved ones.
The Art and Science of Caregiving
The Art and Science of Caregiving: Stories of Inspiring Elders with an End-Of-Life Guidebook by Annelise Schinzniger is another practical choice for caregivers. It’s a story that goes through all the fundamentals of caregiving, told from the perspective of an individual who has been a professional caregiver for a quarter of a century.
In the Art and Science of Caregiving, there is ample information for interested individuals. You will gain access to information about dealing with stress, preparing for the end of life, what to do if you are a caregiver, how to interact with individuals and other fundamental skills. They even provide advice if you want to hire someone as a caregiver instead.
My Parent’s Keeper
Finding yourself a caregiver for a parent can be a stressful process. That is clarified in My Parent’s Keeper: The Guilt, Grief, Guesswork, and Unexpected Gifts of Caregiving by Jody Gastfriend. This book is specifically for those who have found themselves sudden caretakers of their parents.
In My Parent’s Keeper, you will find ample practical guidance for navigating caretaking for your loved one, especially if stressful. It goes over coping with challenges like the complexity of healthcare and parents refusing help, various cases and interviews about the topic, and inspirational sources blended with practical advice.
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Helping Yourself Help Others
Caregiving can be rewarding for everyone involved, but several studies show that caregiving where the caregiver fails to take care of themselves can lead to high blood pressure, sleep problems, and even fatigue. Helping Yourself Help Others: A Book for Caregivers by Rosalynn Carter is a practical guide for caretakers.
Former first lady Rosalynn Carter offers a practical guide in this book for those participating in caregiving for someone else. She addresses some social issues surrounding caregiving, how to care for loved ones who’ve developed serious troubles, and various solutions individuals will find valuable.
We’re Stronger Than We Look
We’re Stronger Than We Look: Insights and Encouragement by Jill Brown is a selection that focuses on the health of the caregiver. It provides helpful tips and encouragement for caregivers who feel like they are overwhelmed and filled with despair, bitterness, and frustration in their journey.
This book is full of rich stories that are real and yet filled with humor. It focuses on very real questions caregivers have, from wondering if they are alone in this process to figuring out how to keep up with the level of care they must. It’s a safe place for caregivers to process everything, allowing individuals to care for themselves while caring for their loved ones.
Stand By Me
Our final book recommendation is Stand By Me: A Guide to Navigating Modern, Meaningful Caregiving by Allison Applebaum is a practical and transformative tool for any caregiver to have in their hand. The goal of this novel is to ensure you as a caregiver can help your loved one well and offer the best quality of life possible.
Stand By Me offers information on areas like making the most of a healthcare system, how to provide healthcare planning, looking for meaning and purpose in any experience for caregiving, and working through various changing roles and shifting situations. The author offers ample years of experience to back up her helpful writing.
Final Thoughts
These seven books are highly recommended if you need something to assist with your caregiving journey. Whether you want something to assist you through a hard time in your caregiving process or need tips on planning for the future, ample authors are ready to help those who want helpful words.
We hope this information is valuable as you prepare to dive into your caregiving journey or want to better your abilities for your loved one. Whether you want advice on how to best care for your parents or need inspiration as you partake in the caregiving journey, there will be something here for you.
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