The Eldercare Handbook: Difficult Choices, Compassionate Solutions [Paperback]

Stella Mora Henry (Author), Ann Convery (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 9, 2006

In this comprehensive and accessible guide, long-term care expert Stella Henry helps readers navigate the daunting logistics and powerful emotions of making care decisions for an elderly parent or loved one. Drawing from her 36 years as a registered nurse and a nursing home administrator, as well as her experience caring for both her parents (both of whom suffered the ravages of Alzheimer's disease), Henry tackles all the tough issues: spotting the warning signs of dementia, redefining sibling roles, doing a walk-through at an assisted living facility or nursing home, making the move, and coping with "take me home!" demands.She also explains the medical, legal, and insurance maze. In a time when almost 10 million Americans currently need long-term care, The Eldercare Handbook is an essential read.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This is the most complete and up-to-date book I have read on caregiving and placement issues.” (David W. Trader, M.D., Geriatric Psychiatrist, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, UCLA )

“Comprehensive and sensitive. . . an excellent introduction to a delicate and difficult problem facing many Latino families. Highly recommended.” (Criticas (starred review) )

“The Eldercare Handbook is a must-read for adult children of aging parents.” (Rosalie Sederoff Gotz, Director, Culver City Senior Center )

“I will be recommending The Eldercare Handbook to the families I work with, and to nursing home staff.” (D.A. Brechtelsbauer, M.D., C.M.D., Director of Geriatrics Training, Center for Family Medicine, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Board Member, American Medical Directors Association )

“realistic and concise”” (Richard Wolfe, M.S., Chair of Caregiver and Kinship Committee of the Los Angeles Department of Aging; Certified Health Care and Operations Risk Manager, CSL )

“This is the book you will want.” (Monika White, Ph.D., M.S.W., C.M.C., Senior Research Associate, USC Andrus Gerontology Center in Los Angeles )

“Moving and compassionate. . . .I wish that this book had been available to me when I needed it.” (Judy Wunsch, Director of Volunteers, Alzheimer's Association of Los Angeles, Riverside & San Bernardino Counties )

“. . .analytical and caring, professional and compassionate. . . [this] is a book for our times.” (Henry Cisneros, former Mayor of San Antonio and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development )

“a must-read for adult children of aging parents” (Rosalie Sederoff Gotz, Director, Culver City Senior Center )

From the Back Cover

THE ELDERCARE HANDBOOK combines a daughter’s compassion with the expertise of a trusted professional, thanks to Stella Henry’s unique experiences as both a daughter who cared for her father at home and her mother in long-term care, and a 36-year veteran administrator who has counseled thousands of families on care giving. In this accessible book, she helps readers navigate the daunting logistics and powerful emotions of making care decisions for a loved one. She tackles all the tough issues, from spotting the warning signs of dementia to redefining sibling roles; from the all-important walk-through at the assisted living facility or nursing home to making the move; from when and how to visit to coping with demands of “Take me home!” She also demystifies the medical/legal/insurance maze.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 254 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; 1 edition (May 9, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060776919
• ISBN-13: 978-0060776916
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #429,318 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eldercare from the Heart, July 19, 2006

By 

topangajack (Los Angeles, California USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Eldercare Handbook: Difficult Choices, Compassionate Solutions (Paperback)

What an eye opener! Through this book, Stella Henry holds the hand of the reader and says, "I've been there, what you feel is normal, you can do this, and here's how." Gently, she explains the joys, challenges and pitfalls of caring for the elderly. She unfolds the changing relationships between parent and child and illuminates shifting sibling roles. Perhaps most importantly, she tells the caregiver (usually a wife, daughter, or daughter-in-law) when it may no longer be safe to care for a loved one at home--when creating a hospital at home still cannot give a loved one the care he or she needs. At the same time, she warns that not all nursing homes and assisted living facilities are created equal and that we need to become sophisticated, knowledgeable consumers in order to choose an appropriate care center. The Eldercare Handbook answered questions before I even thought of them. I have already given this book to six friends.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT DETAILED HANDBOOK ON CURRENT AND FUTURE ELDERCARE PROBLEMS, May 9, 2006

By 

RBSProds "rbsprods" (Deep in the heart of Texas) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Eldercare Handbook: Difficult Choices, Compassionate Solutions (Paperback)

Five "Well-Prepared" Stars. No, make that Six Stars!! This book belongs on the shelf or a CD disc of any family with elderly parents, relatives, or friends. Or those approaching elderly status. The Eldercare Handbook arrives just as we are informed there are over 22.4 million households caring for elderly relatives or friends, with that number expected to explode as the 'boomers' begin living longer than previous groups. That's ONE IN FOUR households and that's why this book needs to be read now by everyone and kept on the shelf or on digital media for future use. We're all on the clock.

It's said family caregivers will spend more time caring for their elderly loved ones than raising their children, as life spans extend. Even those who have already begun to travel down this road can learn some things from this book that may have not confronted them yet. Especially important is the personal story of Nurse Henry in the beginning and the short "cast studies" throughout the book.

Chapter 2, "Red Flags: Ten Signs To Watch For In Your Parents" hits the nail on the head. Some important signs are changes in eating habits, paying bills, memory problems, medications not taken, and hygiene. The information in Chapter 8 on the "Three Stages of Demetia" must be remembered. "Caregiver Burnout" is another important chapter that shows how a caregiver can easily become a patient. "The Long Term Care" chapter(s) explore the three levels very well. One stunning fact is that men are rarely caregivers, with that task most commonly falling to "spouses, daughters, and daughters-in-law, in that order". Not in my household.

A key person that is mentioned is the Hospital Discharge Planner (my caps) at the rehab facility following a stroke, who is an expert on Medicare entitlements and local services, and has tons of advice on home care assistance. There is so much more in this handbook that we all need to read and give careful consideration to each point. As a retired male who was a primary caregiver to two parents simultaneously at home for 10 years, I believe this book is an excellent overview on eldercare and gives very good specific guidance. SIX Stars!!!!

(Notes:
*Pay careful attention to the medical disclaimer at the beginning of the book, this is guidance that should be augmented by a doctor's advice.
*This review is based on a eBook download for Adobe Reader 7. Save a tree, Download your books and burn to a CD!)

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the one to buy, January 28, 2008

By 

John G. Tomlinson (Baton Rouge, LA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Eldercare Handbook: Difficult Choices, Compassionate Solutions (Paperback)

I bought several books of this type and this one is by far the most helpful and informative. It was invaluable in my visits to assisted living and nursing home facilities - letting me know what to look for and what questions to ask. But there is so much more to this book than just that. If I could only buy one book to help me understand how I can help my parents this would definitely be it.