The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to caring for persons with Alzheimer disease, related dementing illnesses, and memory loss in later life

by Mace and Rabins
loaned by a friend, paperback, lots of pages
genre: Non-fiction, care-giver support

This looked quite good, but my mother (who had dementia) is dead, and I've got more books to read than time right now. Since I've put in my resignation notice already for the end of this year, I'm trying to finish the books I need to return to Chaska people.

I wanted to include a blog entry so that if/when I find myself in a place to seek this info, I can just go ahead and buy this book for myself. I read through the table of contents and know this would be valuable.

(Above was written 2.28.17 and I'm adding below on 3.8.17.)

I have a blog called "Lessons Learned While Caring for Elderly Parents" and it's at http://lessonslearnedcaregiving.blogspot.com/  I haven't written a lot in it, but I'll try to get back into it. It's so hard to deal with aging parents and the challenges (emotional, social, financial, physical) that come along with it! Leave comments or questions for me on that blog.

Caregiving: the Spiritual Journey of Love, Loss, and Renewal

by Beth Witrogen McLeod
Hennepin County Library paperback 233 plus endpages, index, etc.
genre: non-fiction, caregiving (duh.)

I really tried to get into this, but it simply did not resonate for me. I liked leafing through and reading some people's personal experience stories, but I didn't like the author's philosophical blah blah blah. It has some rave reviews, so I have to conclude that it simply isn't the "right book at the right time" for me. Everyone's experience is different; I don't think my experience resonates much for others. (Though a colleague said I should blog about some of the things I've dealt with over the last five and a half years, caring for elderly parents. I'm seriously considering it.)

One page really really spoke to me, so I scanned it to include it here:

I don't think I've reached my limits, but I've definitely been pushed far, far out of my comfort zone. I believe I'll need to write a letter to send to my three siblings-in-law . . . but I'll clear it with Louie after writing / before sending. The stresses are not just me being selfish. I'm not a huge fan of the multigenerational household, but I'm grateful to God that we are able to provide a home for Lou.

Caregiver's Handbook: A Practical, Visual Guide for the Home Caregiver

by several contributers at Dorling Kindersley
Hennepin County Library paperback 219 pages
genre: Non-fiction self-help caregiving

This was concise and interesting. The contents include:
Becoming a caregiver
Making changes to the home
Diet and health
Social and mental well-being
Maintaining and aiding mobility
Comfort in bed
Personal care
Day-to-day nursing
First aid emergencies
End-of-life care
Resources

I actually got kind of agitated reading this. I "get" that many, many people in my generation are caregivers for elderly parents . . . but I still struggle with the role. I struggle with my siblings in-law and their lack of understanding about how much our lives have changed by having my father-in-law living with us. I spent five and a half years (along with my three siblings) caring for our elderly parents. I'm so grateful we all chipped in and took turns! I'm so glad all three of my sons helped out when they could. I wish I could convince my siblings-in-law to step up and help us out. I'm glad my father-in-law doesn't need nursing care (yet).

Page 201 had a section on "caring for yourself." It's actually in the section on bereavement. Since my dad was still alive four months ago (Jan. 16), I sometimes forget to cut myself some slack. "Don't expect too much from yourself. Giver yourself permission to be disorganized and make mistakes for a while." It's just hard right now, at the end of the school year, to take this advice to heart.