Download or read book Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver written by Ariel Gore and published by Shebooks. This book was released on 2014-02-26 with total page 43 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Gore’s narcissistic mother is diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, she reluctantly moves with her girlfriend and their preschool-age son to New Mexico to help her. "We can do anything for a year," her girlfriend consoles her. But that year ends up pushing Gore to the edge of her sanity. In her new desert home, she faces an unfinished home renovation, New Age hospice nurses, and an intolerant mother who is fighting her death with every bone in her body and taking it all out on her daughter. At one point her mother kicks her out of her house, prompting Gore to "unfriend" her from Facebook. "Did I really just unfriend my dying mother?" she asks. In this macabre, and surprisingly hilarious tale, Gore--publisher of Hip Mama magazine-- confronts her mother’s manipulation with unbendable loyalty for the last time.

Download or read book Mother Lode written by Gretchen Staebler and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2022-10-18 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “. . . makes you feel as though a kindred soul is speaking to you.” —Readers’ Favorite At the age of sixty, Gretchen Staebler promises to spend one year in her childhood home caring for her stubbornly independent ninety-six-year-old mother—sort of a middle-aged gap year. Then her mother will move to assisted living and she will return to her own independent life. It doesn’t go as planned. Rather than a retrospective, this mother-daughter story unfolds in real time with gripping honesty, bringing the reader along with the narrator through the struggle, doubts, and complexities of caregiving and daughterhood—and the beacons of light. Penetrating the fog of her mother’s advancing dementia and myriad health issues with humor, frustration, and compassion—and wine—Staebler slowly comes to accept and respect the mother she got, if not the one she wished for. In the process, she manifests non-negotiable self-care and learns more than she wants to know about aging, cognitive loss, and the healthcare system. Any reader who is looking for a road map in caring for a family member, has ever had a mother, or is looking aging in the eye will find company on the journey in this candid, multi-award-winning memoir.

Download or read book True Confessions of an Ambivalent Caregiver written by Cindy Eastman and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2024-09-17 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written for caregivers of parents and spouses, this funny but brutally honest collection of essays from award-winning author Eastman challenges the romanticized notion of caregiving, portraying it as an elegant conflict that reshapes family dynamics. At first grateful to be able remodel the dining room of her family’s modest home in Connecticut to accommodate her eighty-six-year-old father for what everyone felt would be a short duration of care, Cindy Eastman ultimately experienced a whole gamut of feelings over the course of what turned out to be four years of caring for her dying dad. Caregiving impacts everyone, and this account—told in essays recorded before, during, and after the time Eastman’s father was with her—details that impact, not just on the primary caregiver but also the rest of the family. One of the reasons Eastman committed to writing down her experiences was because she predicted that once her dad died, there would be a tendency to soften or even deny any of the negative and challenging times—and there were many. As of 2020, more than 53 million adults provide homecare in this country, and the reality of that arrangement is different for every family. It is not, as some might suggest, a “noble gesture” but rather an elegant conflict—an intricate reassembling of the family dynamic that many people don’t ever see coming. In these candid, often poignant essays, Cindy Eastman brings all the emotions of taking on the challenging responsibility of caregiving a parent at the end of their life to the surface.

Download or read book The Reluctant Caregiver written by Karen Oke and published by Winners Press. This book was released on 2020-12-29 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Reluctant Caregiver addresses the inner conflict unique to those who are or were caregivers for a parent with whom they still have issues.

Download or read book Losing Amma Finding Home written by Uma Girish and published by Hay House, Inc. This book was released on 2014-06-01 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Uma Girish’s Losing Amma, Finding Home is a heart-rending narrative of losing a parent, living through the pain and transforming it to discover one true-calling and life’s purpose. This is a breathtaking inspirational and personal memoir that will ring true with every reader! When Uma arrives to start life in a Chicago suburb with her husband, 14-year-old daughter and her dreams in the spring of 2008, she has no clue of the cosmic wheels in motion. Barely four weeks later, her 68-year-old mother, in India, is diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer. Eight months later, she passes away. Losing her mother plunges Uma into the deepest despair, but more importantly, awakens a sudden clarity and knowing that ‘there has to be more to life than this’. As she begins to navigate a new country and culture, she is also called on to navigate the lonely terrain of grief. Life begins to open doors and Uma finds comfort, connection and purpose in working with seniors at a retirement community. Every relationship that she forms with the seniors opens her heart a little wider as she seeks answers to the only questions that matter. Who am I? Why am I here? What am I meant to do with this life? Interweaving two cultures through a textured narrative, Uma uncovers the truths of her inner journey as she transforms – one event, one person at a time.

Download or read book A Guide to Managing Atypical Communication in Healthcare written by Riya Elizabeth George and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2023-04-24 with total page 327 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents a supportive and practical guide for healthcare professionals ​and trainees in a way that considers a wide spectrum of atypical communication conditions, their impact on everyday healthcare interactions, and the social and cultural contexts in which interactions with atypical communicators take place. A growing number of patients have been reporting atypical capacity for communication, creating unique challenges for healthcare professionals and patients in forming meaningful clinical interactions. In this book, leading international scholars from a range of healthcare professions provide insight into optimal management for those with atypical communication conditions. This includes speech, language, and hearing impairments. Chapters provide optimal management strategies, case examples, clinical recommendations, and recommended resources relevant for a range of healthcare professionals. The first collection of its kind, this book supports inter-professional practices and serves as a useful guide for those with an interest in clinical communication, and communication and diversity. This book will be a valuable resource for health and mental healthcare professionals as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students in healthcare and allied healthcare courses. It can be included as recommended reading material in clinical communication curricula.

Download or read book The Routledge Handbook of Health Communication written by Teresa L. Thompson and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-09-30 with total page 794 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A seminal text in the field, this new edition of The Routledge Handbook of Health Communication provides students and scholars with a comprehensive survey of the subject’s key research foundations and trends, authored by the discipline’s leading scholars. The third edition has been completely updated and reorganized to guide both new researchers and experienced scholars through the most critical and contemporary topics in health communication today. There are eight major sections covering a range of issues, including interpersonal and family health communication; patient-provider communication; healthcare provider and organizational health communication; mediated health communication; campaigns, interventions, and technology applications; and broad issues such as health literacy, health equity, and intercultural communication. Attention also is devoted to foundational issues in health communication, such as theory and method; multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary communication research; research translation, implementation, and dissemination; and narrative health communication. There is new attention to policy and NGOs, the environment, public health crises, global health, mental health and mental illness, and marginalized populations such as Black, Latinx (a/o), Native/First People, and LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as the multiple challenges health communication researchers face in conducting research. The handbook will continue to serve as an invaluable resource for students, researchers, scholars, policymakers, and healthcare professionals doing work in health communication.

Download or read book Lesbian Queer Plays from the Jane Chambers Prize written by Maya E. Roth and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2018-08-30 with total page 446 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: LESBIAN & QUEER PLAYS FROM THE JANE CHAMBERS PRIZE edited by Maya E. Roth and Jennifer-Scott Mobley with a preface by Jill Dolan and an afterword by Sara Warner This volume, the first of two, gathers five plays from the history of the Jane Chambers Prize: UNSPEAKABLE ACTS by Mary F. Casey, FULL/SELF by Claire Chafee, THE SIEGELS OF MONTAUK by Meryl Cohn, A LIVE DRESS by MJ Kaufman and FEMMES by Gina Young. THE JANE CHAMBERS PRIZE recognizes plays and scripts for performance written by a woman that present a feminist perspective and significant roles for female performers. This annual award is given in memory of lesbian playwright Jane Chambers who, through her plays and activism became a major feminist voice in American theater. This publication is a collaboration between WTP and NoPassport Press.

Download or read book The Stroke Book written by June Biermann and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2005-03-03 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An indispensable, sensitive guide for stroke sufferers and those who care for them According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, an American suffers a stroke every forty-five seconds. More than 700,000 Americans each year find themselves struggling to recover from this affliction—and many hundreds of thousands more are there to help them mend. June Biermann, a stroke survivor, and her coauthor—and caregiver—Barbara Toohey, authors of the bestselling Diabetic's Total Health and Happiness Book, offer this essential source for those recovering from a stroke and those providing them with support. The Stroke Book offers readers: - Clear explanations of the science of this often misunderstood condition - Information on what to expect at the hospital and in rehabilitation - Analyses of encouraging new developments in stroke therapy, including basic and alternative therapies, and traditional and cutting-edge medications - Advice on coping with complex rehabilitation needs, including adjustments for nutrition, mobility, and everyday living, and on understanding after-stroke emotional and cognitive changes - Suggestions for preventing future strokes - Information on how people recovering from a stroke can reclaim their independence and quality of life—and how caregivers can manage their own stresses and sorrows - Heartening words on keeping hope alive with patience and fortitude, and the curative power of humor - Inspiring stories of the stroke and recovery experiences of well-known individuals With stroke now the leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States, Biermann and Toohey's optimistic, user-friendly guide to living well after an attack is a vital tool for recovery.

Download or read book The Last Ocean written by Nicci Gerrard and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2020-08-11 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the award-winning journalist and author, a lyrical, raw and humane investigation of dementia that explores both the journeys of the people who live with the condition and those of their loved ones After a diagnosis of dementia, Nicci Gerrard’s father, John, continued to live life on his own terms, alongside the disease. But when an isolating hospital stay precipitated a dramatic turn for the worse, Gerrard, an award-winning journalist and author, recognized that it was not just the disease, but misguided protocol and harmful practices that cause such pain at the end of life. Gerrard was inspired to seek a better course for all who suffer because of the disease. The Last Ocean is Gerrard’s investigation into what dementia does to both the person who lives with the condition and to their caregivers. Dementia is now one of the leading causes of death in the West, and this necessary book will offer both comfort and a map to those walking through it. While she begins with her father’s long slip into forgetting, Gerrard expands to examine dementia writ large. Gerrard gives raw but literary shape both to the unimaginable loss of one’s own faculties, as well as to the pain of their loved ones. Her lens is unflinching, but Gerrard honors her subjects and finds the beauty and the humanity in their seemingly diminished states. In so doing, she examines the philosophy of what it means to have a self, as well as how we can offer dignity and peace to those who suffer with this terrible disease. Not only will it aid those walking with dementia patients, The Last Ocean will prompt all of us to think on the nature of a life well lived.

Download or read book Crash written by Rachel Michelberg and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2021-04-27 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “. . . an engaging exploration of duty, guilt, and self-preservation. . . . A cleareyed consideration of difficult ethical and familial choices.” —KIRKUS REVIEWS Rachel likes to think of herself as a nice Jewish girl, dedicated to doing what’s honorable, just as her parents raised her to do. But when her husband, David, survives a plane crash and is left with severe brain damage, she faces a choice: will she dedicate her life to caring for a man she no longer loves, or walk away? Their marriage had been rocky at the time of the accident, and though she wants to do the right thing, Rachel doesn’t know how she is supposed to care for two kids in addition to a now irrational, incontinent, and seizure-prone grown man. And how will she manage to see her lover? But then again, what kind of selfish monster would refuse to care for her disabled husband, no matter how unhappy her marriage had been? Rachel wants to believe that she can dedicate her life to David’s needs, but knows in her heart it is impossible. Crash tackles a pervasive dilemma in our culture: the moral conflicts individuals face when caregiving for a disabled or cognitively impaired family member.

Download or read book The Unexpected Journey of Caring written by Donna Thomson and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2019-06-05 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With a foreword by Judy Woodruff, The Unexpected Journey of Caring is a practical guide to finding personal meaning in the 21st century care experience. Personal transformation is usually an experience we actively seek out—not one that hunts us down. Becoming a caregiver is one transformation that comes at us, requiring us to rethink everything we once knew. Everything changes—responsibilities, beliefs, hopes, expectations, and relationships. Caregiving is not just a role reserved for “saints”—eventually, everyone is drafted into the caregiver role. It’s not a role people medically train for; it’s a new type of relationship initiated by a loved one’s need for care. And it’s a role that cannot be quarantined to home because it infuses all aspects of our lives. 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 access hidden community resources, collaborate with medical professionals, craft new narratives consistent with the changing nature of their care role, coordinate care with family, seek information and peer support using a variety of digital platforms, and negotiate social support—all while attempting to manage conflicts between work, life, and relationship roles. The moments that mark us in the transition from loved one to caregiver matter because if we don’t make sense of how we are being transformed, we risk undervaluing our care experiences, denying our evolving beliefs, becoming trapped by other’s misunderstandings, and feeling underappreciated, burned out, and overwhelmed. Informed by original caregiver research and proven advocacy strategies, this book speaks to caregiving as it unfolds, in all of its confusion, chaos, and messiness. Readers won’t find well-intentioned clichés or care stereotypes in this book. There are no promises to help caregivers return to a life they knew before caregiving. No, this book greets caregivers where they are in their journey—new or chronic—not where others expect (or want) them to be.

Download or read book Camp Paradox written by Barbara Graham and published by Shebooks. This book was released on 2014-03-25 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This haunting yet wry coming-of-age memoir set at an all-girls summer camp fast-forwards decades into the future as Barbara Graham grapples with the knowledge that the "love affair" she believed she'd shared with her female camp counselor in the 1960s fits every definition of sexual abuse. The book will appeal to anyone who has experienced a betrayal of trust or conflated love and abuse.

Download or read book Confessions of a Christian Cynic written by Rev. Curt McCormack and published by Balboa Press. This book was released on 2021-07-13 with total page 139 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What the book is about: This autobiography of Rev. Curt’s spiritual journey offers a commentary on why much of the theology and current practices of the Christian Faith are no longer viable for the 21st century Christian. His historical insights, reviews of the Aramaic and Greek texts, and metaphorical views are based on his life-long study of the Christian scriptures. Today’s Christians have accepted advancements in many areas, including science, technology and medicine, but would not want to be treated medically by a doctor of antiquity or give up their computer and smart phone for the quill and parchment. The only exception has been in religion. Many Christians still want to honor the ethics, dogmas and rituals of an antiquated idea of God. Such antiquated theology sometimes creates a faith of exclusivity that forgets the basic teaching of Jesus to love one another. Curt brings to this discussion the universal principle of Divine Love that is found in all the religious traditions. All humanity, everything in the universe was created in God’s love regardless of race, color, gender, or creed. We all share the same DNA, and while all traditions honor the one God, there are many paths to that Divine Love. For Rev. Curt, the simple fundamental truth of the Christian faith for the 21st century is found in Micah 6:8, “What does the Lord require of you? To serve justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.”

Download or read book Watching for Dragonflies written by Suzanne Marriott and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2023-06-06 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 2023 Living Now Book Awards Bronze Medal Winner for Mature Living/Caregiving “I found it unique and inspiring that the couple worked hard to keep their love alive and their sex life active while facing serious health challenges. . . . What a highly inspiring and impactful book!” —Readers’ Favorite, 5-star review “Spirituality is a central theme throughout the memoir. . . . A moving story of love, loss, illness, and the beauty that persists.” —Kirkus Reviews Suzanne’s story begins with a phone call from her husband, Michael, telling her he has collapsed on the job. They soon learn he has multiple sclerosis. Despite the negative patterns threatening their marriage, she is determined to handle the caregiving tasks suddenly thrust upon her. Through love, psychological insights, and spiritual inquiry, she cultivates her abilities—and gains the courage to confront a medical system that often saves her husband but at other times threatens his life. As time progresses, Michael undergoes many hospitalizations; he also makes miraculous recoveries that allow adventure back into their lives, including a numinous experience with dragonflies. When Suzanne faces her own medical crisis, their world is shaken once again—but throughout it all, love is their bond, one even death cannot sever. In Watching for Dragonflies, Suzanne reaches out to other caregivers and anyone who has experienced a life-changing crisis, inviting them to explore the many avenues of growth and transformation that uninvited change can bring. Often poignant, at times funny, and always riveting, Watching for Dragonflies will bring comfort—and inspiration—to readers as they navigate their own transformative journey.

Download or read book Just Me and My Three Sons written by Michele Weldon and published by Shebooks. This book was released on 2014-09-17 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Just Me and My Three Sons is a gutsy, wry, and smartly told tale of maternal devotion. Michele Weldon doesn’t just cope when her husband abandons her and their three young sons, she does everything in her power—and then some—to assure that her three children thrive. She is a warrior mom in the best possible way—fiercely protective of her sons yet respectful of their growing independence, even when cancer threatens to upend the family’s hard-won stability. Weldon beats the odds on every page.

Download or read book Atmospheric Disturbances written by Maggie May Ethridge and published by Shebooks. This book was released on 2014-05-28 with total page 35 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Two people deeply in love finally say their vows after ten years of friendship and uncertainty. But then the marriage takes a heartbreaking dive when one of them is diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The other struggles to stay afloat while raising their four children even as she confronts the uninvited guest of mental illness. Author Maggie May Ethridge asks: Am I welcome at the marriage table when my husband is lost to bipolar and my wedding band is being twisted in anxiety underneath the cloth? Less about the exact nature of bipolar disorder and more about the nature of love under fire, Atmospheric Disturbances brings us into the heart of a marriage.