Being a CDPAP family caregiver is challenging. It’s even harder when you don’t have a support system to guide you and ensure your physical and emotional well-being.
However, sometimes all you need is a good book to get past the darkest days. It reminds you to take a moment for yourself and provides you with the knowledge you require to provide the best care for your loved one or patient.
Here are some books for caregivers, that could serve as a guiding principle to living a happier and more fulfilled life as a caretaker for an aging loved one.
A Bittersweet Season: Caring for Our Aging Parent and Ourselves by Jane Gross
They say experience is the best teacher. So, what better way is there to learn than from someone who has experienced what you’re going through?
Jane Gross found herself taking care of her 85-year old mother. She faced challenges that she had never imagined before. From struggling to move her mother to an assisted living facility to dealing with the seemingly never-ending costs and emotional stress that came with it, the ordeal was taxing on her time and psyche.
In this book, Jane Gross shares her experiences along with other valuable information, including steps you should take when relocating a parent and dealing with Medicaid and Medicare. She also has helpful tips and sheds light on how to provide for your own needs as a caretaker.
This book goes for $14.69 as a paperback and $28.90 as a hardcover. You can also get it as a PDF or an audiobook.
The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementias, and Memory Loss by Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rabbins
If you’re caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease, memory loss, or dementia, you should probably check out this book. It gives caregivers practical advice on how to take care of their loved ones for over 30 years.
This revised and updated version tells you everything you need to know about people with dementia. From the basic facts about the disease, how to deal with issues like personal hygiene and daily care meals to all the financial and legal matters you must address as a caregiver.
You can get this book for $10.25 as a paperback and $55.91 as a hardcover. You can also get it as an audio CD for $36.75.
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Family Caregivers — 101 Stories of Love, Sacrifice, and Bonding by Joan Lunden and Amy Newmark
This book features a collection of 101 stories from different caregivers. You’ll get to learn what other caregivers go through and the measures they take to make the tasks less cumbersome. It also provides lots of emotional and some practical tips and resources to sustain you through this road.
The book goes for $13.99 as a paperback and $9.99 as a Kindle book.
The Caregiving Wife’s Handbook: Caring for Your Seriously Ill Husband, Caring for Yourself by Diana B. Denholm
As a wife, caring for your seriously ill husband can be very overwhelming. At times, you might even feel discouraged. But, what if you had something to guide you through the ordeal?
Read Diana Denholm’s story of the time her husband was diagnosed with colon cancer and later congestive heart failure, forcing her to be his primary caregiver for more than a decade. This book is a step-by-step guide to help women maintain physical, emotional, and financial health when caregiving to an ill husband or partner.
The book goes for $5.99 as a paperback, $16.72 as a hardcover, and $11.49 as a Kindle book.
Daily Comforts for Caregivers by Pat Samples
If you feel overwhelmed by caregiving challenges and the seemingly never-ending day-to-day struggles of caregiving, this book could offer you the guidance and support you need to get through them.
You can get the book for $10.99 as a paperback or a Kindle book.
Passages in Caregiving: Turning Chaos into Confidence by Gail Sheehy
This is another great book from Gail Sheehy, the author of the New York Times bestseller “Groundbreaking Passages.” It features expert advice from Gail Sheehy, a prolific expert on elder care for the now-aging baby boomer generation.
In this book, you’ll get valuable insight divided into nine crucial steps for effective and successful family caregiving. This will ultimately give you the courage to turn chaos into confidence, even at the most challenging times.
The book sells for $12.9 as a paperback and $6.99 as a Kindle book. You also get a free audiobook.
A Guide for Caregiving: What’s Next? by Tina Marrelli
Who’s better at giving caregiving advice than a professional caregiver? Tina Marrelli is a health care veteran who has dedicated her life to caring for family members and the sick and elderly.
This comprehensive guide covers topics such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, palliative, end-of-life, hospice care, and medication management. It’s meant to make health care understandable to novice caregivers. You can get the book for $9.95
Living With Dying by Joan Berzoff and Phyllis R. Silverman
This is among the unique caregiver guide books available in the market. It includes a wide range of topics with research-based information, making it a great read for caregivers, advocates, and health care educators.
This book sells for $115.00 as a hardcover and $114.00 as an e-book.
The Conscious Caregiver: A Mindful Approach to Caring for Your Loved One Without Losing Yourself by Linda Abbit
Linda Abbit, a veteran of the caregiving industry and founder of Tender Loving Eldercare, shares valuable advice on taking care of a loved one and handling all the dramatic life changes and emotional challenges that come with it.
You can buy the book at $16.99 as a paperback.
Can’t We Talk about Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir by Roz Chast
This memoir comes complete with the author’s stories and some cool comic cartoons that illustrate her struggles with her aging parents during their last six years. It offers both comfort and comic relief, so you’d better be ready to laugh and cry as you read it.
It goes for $9.02 as a paperback, $19.43 as a hardcover, and $9.99 as a Kindle book.
The Bottom Line
Sometimes, life as a caregiver can be overwhelming. You might not know what to do or who to turn to for support. With these books, you’re sure to find some comfort you need, along with some helpful information to make your caregiving journey and experience much easier.