The Caregiver

The Caregiver
Author: Samuel Park
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2019-07-09
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1501178792

From the critically acclaimed author of This Burns My Heart comes a “luminous mother-daughter saga” (Entertainment Weekly) about a young woman who is forced to flee 1980s Brazil for California, and in doing so unearths the hidden life of her enigmatic mother. Mara Alencar’s mother Ana is her moon, her sun, her stars. Ana, a struggling voice-over actress, is an admirably brave and recklessly impulsive woman who does everything in her power to care for her little girl in perilous 1980s Rio de Janeiro. With no other family or friends her own age, Ana eclipses Mara’s entire world. They take turns caring for each other—in ways big and small. But who is Ana, really? As she grows older, Mara slowly begins to piece together the many facets of Ana’s complicated life—a mother, a rebel, and always, an actress. When Ana becomes involved with a civilian rebel group attempting to undermine the city’s cruel Police Chief, their fragile arrangement begins to unravel. Mara is forced to flee the only home she’s ever known, for California, where she lives as an undocumented immigrant, caregiving for a dying woman. It’s here that she begins to grapple with her turbulent past and starts to uncover vital truths—about her mother, herself, and what it means to truly take care of someone. A “lovely and heartbreaking” (People) story that is “simultaneously dreamlike and visceral” (The Atlantic), The Caregiver is “a beautiful testament to Samuel Park’s extraordinary talents as a storyteller…that reads, in some moments, like a thriller—and, in others, like a meditation on what it means to be alive…A ferocious page-turner with deep wells of compassion for the struggles of the living—and the sins of the dead” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).

The Caregivers

The Caregivers
Author: Nell Lake
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2014-02-11
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1451674163

A moving, intimate, and compassionate book that chronicles the experiences of a group of long-term caregivers—spouses, parents, and friends of the elderly and ill—illuminating critical issues of old age, end-of-life care, medical reform, and social policy—and “providing comfort in the time-honored form of shared experience” (The Minneapolis Star-Tribune). In 2010, journalist Nell Lake began sitting in on the weekly meetings of a local hospital’s caregivers support group. Soon members invited her into their lives. For two years, she brought empathy, insight, and an eye for detail to understanding Penny, a fifty-year-old botanist caring for her aging mother; Daniel, a survivor of Nazi Germany who tends his ailing wife; William, whose wife suffers from Alzheimer’s; and others with whom all caregivers will identify. Witnessing acts of devotion and frustration, lessons in patience and in letting go, Lake illuminates the intimate exchanges of caregiving and care-receiving and considers important and timely social issues: How can we care for the aging, ill, and dying with skill and compassion, even as the costs and labors of care increase? How might the medical profession take into account the needs of caregivers as well as patients? In The Caregivers Nell Lake shares a thoughtful and tenderly reported depiction of the real-life predicaments that evoke these crucial questions. With more and more people spending their late years ill and frail, and 43 million Americans already caring for family members over age fifty, this is an important chronicle of a widely shared experience and a public concern. “The Caregivers is as elegantly constructed as a novel, but more than that, Lake writes about these people with such warmth and vividness that they feel as memorable as our favorite fictional characters. It is a beautifully written account” (The Boston Globe).

This Burns My Heart

This Burns My Heart
Author: Samuel Park
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2011-07-12
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1439199639

In this "extraordinary" (Chicago Tribune) and compelling love story set in postwar Korea in the 1960s, an unhappily married woman struggles to give her daughter a good life and to find love in a society caught between ancient tradition and change. On the eve of her marriage, beautiful and strong-willed Soo-Ja Choi receives a passionate proposal from a young medical student. But caught up in her desire to pursue a career in Seoul, she turns him away, having impetuously chosen another man who she believes will let her fulfill her dreams. Instead, she finds herself tightly bound by tradition and trapped in a suffocating marriage, her ambition reduced to carving out a successful future for her only daughter. Through it all, she longs for the man she truly loves, whose path she seems destined to cross again and again. In This Burns My Heart, Samuel Parks has crafted a transcendent love story that vibrantly captures 1960s South Korea and brings to life an unforgettable heroine.

The Mindful Caregiver

The Mindful Caregiver
Author: Nancy L. Kriseman
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 231
Release: 2014-02-27
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1442223553

Caregiving can be enormously challenging, terrifically rewarding, and potentially draining. Caregivers often wonder how they will navigate the tumultuous waters of caregiving and not lose themselves completely. The Mindful Caregiver highlights two major approaches to help transform the journey: adopting a practice of mindfulness, which helps caregivers become more self-aware and fully present with the person with whom they are caring, and honoring “the spirit-side” of caregiving which offers new ways of connecting to one another. These approaches take into account not just the needs of the care recipient, but also the needs of the caregiver and other people in his/her life. Remembering to care for oneself when someone else is in great need can be difficult, but with the suggestions and tips in this book, any caregiver can cultivate routines and practices that benefit everyone. Solutions that caregivers can use in their day to day routines are provided, so caregivers who use them can feel more empowered and hopeful. Using real stories throughout, Nancy Kriseman offers self-care exercises and addresses a wide variety of subjects such as setting realistic expectations, making the best possible decisions, advocating effectively, and evaluating available resources and services. The Mindful Caregiver provides inspiration, encouragement, and guidance for finding ease in the caregiving journey. By emphasizing both mindfulness and the spiritual dimension, caregivers can reap the gifts of caregiving, appreciate the special moments, and find strength during the challenging times.

The Caregiver

The Caregiver
Author: Shelley Shepard Gray
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 251
Release: 2011-03-08
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0062074571

An Amish man and woman, bearing responsibilities and trauma, find hope and love in New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray’s The Caregiver. Lucy is still coping with the grief of losing her husband when she learns that her cousin has breast cancer. As a caregiver, Lucy will not only be able to help manage her cousin’s illness, but find her own inner strength to carry on living. Then, while on board the train to Jacob’s Crossing, she meets fellow Amish traveler Calvin Weaver. A farmer, Calvin and his little sister are heading to the same destination as Lucy. As they get to know one another on their journey, the train stalls in Cleveland. The only Amish among the passengers, Lucy and Calvin must rely on each other and protect his sister. But both carry pain they are unable to contain in the stressful English world and mistrust comes between them. In Jacob’s Crossing, Lucy and Calvin absorb themselves in their familial obligations, but are unable to forget their brief time together. And it will take the grace of God to help them heal their hearts and reach for the happiness they can share. “Gray writes with honesty, tenderness, and depth. Her characters are admirable, richly-layered, and impossible to forget.” —New York Times bestselling author Jillian Hart Families of Honor The Caregiver The Protector The Survivor

The Unexpected Journey of Caring

The Unexpected Journey of Caring
Author: Donna Thomson
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2019-06-05
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 1538122243

With a foreword by Judy Woodruff, The Unexpected Journey of Caring is a practical guide to finding personal meaning in the 21st century care experience. Personal transformation is usually an experience we actively seek out—not one that hunts us down. Becoming a caregiver is one transformation that comes at us, requiring us to rethink everything we once knew. Everything changes—responsibilities, beliefs, hopes, expectations, and relationships. Caregiving is not just a role reserved for “saints”—eventually, everyone is drafted into the caregiver role. It’s not a role people medically train for; it’s a new type of relationship initiated by a loved one’s need for care. And it’s a role that cannot be quarantined to home because it infuses all aspects of our lives. Caregivers today find themselves in need of a crash course in new and unfamiliar skills. They must not only care for a loved one, but also access hidden community resources, collaborate with medical professionals, craft new narratives consistent with the changing nature of their care role, coordinate care with family, seek information and peer support using a variety of digital platforms, and negotiate social support—all while attempting to manage conflicts between work, life, and relationship roles. The moments that mark us in the transition from loved one to caregiver matter because if we don’t make sense of how we are being transformed, we risk undervaluing our care experiences, denying our evolving beliefs, becoming trapped by other’s misunderstandings, and feeling underappreciated, burned out, and overwhelmed. Informed by original caregiver research and proven advocacy strategies, this book speaks to caregiving as it unfolds, in all of its confusion, chaos, and messiness. Readers won’t find well-intentioned clichés or care stereotypes in this book. There are no promises to help caregivers return to a life they knew before caregiving. No, this book greets caregivers where they are in their journey—new or chronic—not where others expect (or want) them to be.

Helping Yourself Help Others

Helping Yourself Help Others
Author: Rosalynn Carter
Publisher: University of Arkansas Press
Total Pages: 259
Release: 2023-07-17
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 1682262340

"In Helping Yourself Help Others, former first lady Rosalynn Carter draws upon her own experiences and those of hundreds of others to offer reassuring, practical advice to caregivers. Long before the COVID-19 pandemic inspired national conversations about the vast undervaluing of unpaid caregiving, the dangers of burnout, and the merits of self-care for relief, Rosalynn Carter was shining a light on these matters and everything else that caregivers confront"--

The Caregiver

The Caregiver
Author: Caroline Johnson
Publisher: Holy Cow! Press
Total Pages: 79
Release: 2020-07-14
Genre: Poetry
ISBN: 1513645668

The Caregiver is Caroline Johnson's first full-length publication. It includes 50 poems that were inspired by the 15 years she devoted to taking care of her aging parents. The gathering includes free verse, lyrical poems, prose poetry and some formal verse. Many of the poems won contests and have been previously published in online print journals and anthologies. The poems touch on the topic of grieving but go beyond and focus on the many difficulties a caregiver experiences—both emotional and physical—yet also recognize the spiritual gifts that come with helping a loved one. Caregiving is a significant issue for our times and will only become more important as our population ages.

CareGivers ScareTakers

CareGivers ScareTakers
Author: Jacklyn Ryan
Publisher: Caregivers Scaretakers
Total Pages: 142
Release: 2022-02-10
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 9781737280705

Do you know if your trusted caregiver is ripping off your parents? What can you do to protect your loved ones? How can you find the best qualified caregiver? Families struggled to find dependable, trusted care. These true stories are but a glimpse that exposes fraud and manipulation by unscrupulous caregivers. Through these stories, you will learn to identify subtle hints that expose a dishonest caregiver. You'll discover Resources, tips on hiring and managing your caregiver and some basic estate planning questions are included. More than $37 billion is stolen each year because of the financial exploitation of seniors, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Better regulation is needed for in-home care agencies. Some states don't require caregivers to be fingerprinted, background-checking and/or drug-tested! Who can you trust? Agencies charge their clients around $20 per hour but only pay caregivers $12 per hour. Why would a caregiver want to take that job when they can get $15 per hour in a different industry? Raising the bar on caregivers will raise the bar on the quality of care.

The Caregiving Trap

The Caregiving Trap
Author: Pamela D. Wilson
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2015-10-06
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 9781630475352

"The Caregiving Trap" combines the authentic life and professional experience of Pamela D. Wilson, who provides recommendations for overwhelmed and frustrated caregivers who themselves may one day need care. "The Caregiving Trap" includes stories about Pamela's actual personal and professional experience along with end of chapter exercises to support caregivers. Common caregiving issues include: A sense of duty and obligation to provide care that damages family relationships Emotional and financial challenges resulting in denial of care needs Ignorance of predictive events that result in situations of crises or harm Delayed decision making and lack of planning resulting in limited choices Minimum standards of care supporting the need for advocacy