Established in its first edition as the definitive guide for family members and professionals on all aspects of caring for the aged, this beautifully written and comprehensive handbook has now been updated and expanded to include more issues of concern to the aged and those who care for them. Unlike other books on caring for the aged, Taking Care of Aging Family Members provides thorough and substantive advice and information on the complete range of psychological, social, and financial issues that face those involved in caring for an older person. This expanded edition includes new sections on spiritual concerns, ethnicity, and self-neglect, as well as updated sections on conflict resolution in families, long-distance caregivers, coping with physical changes, and the woman-in-the-middle who cares for both children and parents. Drawing on their extensive research and practice experience, the authors provide concrete information and suggestions, as well as ready-to-use charts and checklists. They also direct readers to relevant local and national resources. Unlike most other books on caring for the aged, this book includes the standpoints both of the caregiver and of those receiving care and emphasizes the dignity and autonomy of the elderly person. Taking Care of Aging Family Members, revised and expanded, will be essential reading for adult children, spouses and partners of the aged, and friends involved in the care of an older person, as well as for students and professionals in nursing, medicine, physical and occupational therapy, and social work.
Wendy Lustbader, MSW, is the author of several books and essays that have earned her a national reputation in the field of aging. She is also a popular speaker at conferences throughout the United States and Canada, using storytelling to animate complex subjects. Additionally, she is a skilled psychotherapist, having worked almost twenty years with people from all walks of life at a community clinic in downtown Seattle. Equally passionate as a writer, teacher, and therapist, Wendy brings a social worker's lived experience to her writing, teaching, and service to older people. Currently, she is an Affiliate Associate Professor at the University of Washington School of Social Work in Seattle.
Wendy's publications include two videos. The first, "A Prescription for Caregivers," shows caregivers and those who assist them how to make life better for the giver and receiver of care. In her other video, "Kind Hands," front-line workers learn how to respond to grief and vulnerability. Wendy's first book was co-authored with Nancy Hooyman, Taking Care of Aging Family Members. This is a practical guide to caregiving, with a detailed index to help readers find exactly what they need. Her second book, Counting on Kindness, helps readers to comprehend the complex and often unspeakable feelings which arise when we become dependent on others for help. Her third book is What's Worth Knowing, a collection of pithy insights gathered from older people. Her newest book, Life Gets Better, explores how life improves as we get older, on every level except the physical.
