With pandemic-related limitations on public gatherings, you may not be able to attend support groups or participate in other stress-relieving activities. This means gaining insight and relieving stress whenever you happen to have a moment. This is where books can be helpful.
Books are great because you can pick one up whenever you happen to have a spare minute or two without the pressure of an extensive time commitment. If you’re caring for a loved one, consider reading one or more of the following books for caregivers.
1. I'll Be Right There: A Guidebook for Adults Caring for Their Aging Parents
by Fern Pessin
I’ll Be Right There is a quintessential guidebook for adult children caring for their aging parents. The stories, information, worksheets, and resources will help clarify what you already know and provide you with what you absolutely need to know for each stage of your parents' aging. This includes everything from taking inventory of paperwork you need, to learning how to deal with medical situations, to better understanding what your parents may need (but won’t ask for), and so much more.
Find this caregiving book on Amazon.
2. Meditations for Caregivers
by Dr. Barry Jacobs and Dr. Julia Mayer
Meditations for Caregivers blends emotional and spiritual motivation to minimize caregiving stress while helping caregivers view their work as a mission from the heart. Chapters are organized by theme and include topics like accepting your feelings, knowing your limits, seeking support, and managing stress. Each reading offers a poignant meditation, an anecdote drawn from the author's personal or clinical experience, and psychological advice to foster coping skills.
Find this caregiving book on Amazon.
3. My Two Elaines: Learning, Coping, and Surviving as an Alzheimer's Caregiver
by Martin Schreiber with Cathy Breitenbucher
Former governor of Wisconsin, Marty Schreiber, watched his wife, Elaine, gradually transform from graceful entertainer in the Executive Residence to one who no longer recognized him, her children, or grandchildren. In My Two Elaines, Marty offers sage advice on respecting a loved one with Alzheimer's while maintaining caregiver health.
Find this caregiving book on Amazon.
4. The Unexpected Journey of Caregiving
by Donna Thompson and Zachary White (forward by Judy Woodruff)
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 collaborate with medical professionals, craft new narratives consistent with the changing nature of their care role, coordinate care with family, and seek peer support using a variety of digital platforms.
The Unexpected Journey of Caregiving speaks to caregiving as it unfolds, in all of its confusion, chaos, and messiness. Readers won’t find well-intentioned clichés or care stereotypes. This book greets caregivers where they are in their journey—not where others expect them to be.
Find this caregiving book on Amazon.
5. Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant
by Roz Chast
Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant depicts a universal theme: Adult children accepting a parental role while aging and unstable parents leave their family home for an institution. This memoir is told through four-color cartoons, family photos, and documents, showing a life that is as rife with laughs as it is with tears, offering both comfort and comic relief for anyone experiencing the loss of elderly parents.
Find this caregiving book on Amazon.
6. The Caregiver's Survival Handbook: Caring for Your Aging Parents Without Losing Yourself
by Alexis Abramson, PhD with Mary Anne Dunkin
The Caregiver's Survival Handbook is a supportive, reassuring, and practical guide addressing caregivers’ most pressing concerns. These include: How to get all family members to pitch in, letting go of feelings of guilt, balancing the demands on one's own time, and more.
Find this caregiving book on Amazon.
7. Chicken Soup for the Soul: Family Caregivers
by Joan Lunden and Amy Newmark
In Chicken Soup for the Soul: Family Caregivers, you’ll find stories from people of all ages who take care of family members. You’ll be inspired as you read all 101 of these personal glimpses into the lives of other family caregivers, including:
- How Joan Lunden manages the care of her mother at the same time she is raising children.
- How Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker moved Jill’s elderly mother in next door.
- How Leeza Gibbons’ mother planned for her Alzheimer’s disease.
Find this caregiving book on Amazon.
8. Eldercare for Dummies
by Rachelle Zukerman
In Eldercare for Dummies you’ll find practical strategies for assessing older persons' needs, arranging for care, and enhancing quality of life--all while respecting their dignity.
Find this caregiving book on Amazon.
9. The Successful Caregiver's Guide
by Rick Lauber
So many children are caught unprepared when physical and mental health declines in aging parents. Life cannot readily prepare you to furnish excellent eldercare while balancing the demands on your time. The Successful Caregiver’s Guide provides practical tips, realistic guidance, encouragement and insight into the time ahead.