In this time of a great pandemic, caregivers are among those in the front lines risking their lives for others.
These past few months, we’ve been hearing the word “frontliners” every day. Synonymous with the word “coronavirus” is the word referring to people who are working and risking their lives to fight this pandemic. The word refers to doctors, nurses, soldiers, policemen, utility drivers, those working in the food industry, and delivery services. However, rarely do hear “caregivers” mention in the same breaths as those mentioned earlier. Caregivers are also among those risking their lives caring for others. It is the young and the elderly who are most vulnerable to catch the virus and we must rely on our caregivers to be all hands on deck in this great fight against corona. Let’s get to know more about their stories through these 5 remarkable books about caregiving.
A Guide for Caregiving by Tina Marrelli
A Guide for Caregiving: What’s Next? Planning for Safety, Quality, and Compassionate Care for Your Loved One and Yourself is a comprehensive guide by home healthcare expert and author Tina Marrelli. A registered nurse, Marrelli discussed in her book various topics commonly encountered by caregivers caring for elderly patients and loved ones. The book provides handy guides in caring for people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Other topics in the book include medication management, end-of-life, palliative, and hospice care. A Guide for Caregiving is certainly a valuable read that will help readers understand more about healthcare and provide practical strategies for effective care of the elderly.
One Caregiver’s Journey by Eleanor Gaccetta
One Caregiver’s Journey is an inspiring memoir of 24/7 caregiver by Gaccetta. When her mother fell and broke her hip, Eleanor Gaccetta decided to drop everything and take care of her mother as a full-time caregiver. The book chronicles Eleanor Gaccetta’s nine and half years of being a family caregiver to her mom. Her mother had suffered a minor stroke a year and a half after the accident. It was then that Eleanor decided to document her daily struggles as well as other changes she encountered. Eleanor felt that she needed to express her thoughts and emotions. At age 102, Gacetta’s mother passed away, but the experiences she had with her for almost a decade left a lasting memory to her. One caregiver’s Journey is not only a chronicle of a caregiver but also a journal of a daughter taking care of her parent until the very end.
Chicken Soup for the Caregiver’s Soul by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
Chicken Soup for the Caregiver’s Soul has inspired millions of readers worldwide, especially the ones who are in the caregiving profession and those caring for their family and loved ones. Together with LeAnn Thieman LPN, and Rosalyn Carter, Jack Canfield, and Mark Victor Hansen compile inspiring and uplifting stories about the amazing work that caregivers do every day and how they impact the lives of others. Chicken Soup for the Caregiver’s Soul features real-life stories to inspire caregivers and those caring for others to overcome their challenges. It recognizes the great effort, the emotional, physical, and even spiritual trauma that caregivers encounter almost every day. Through the stories in this book, the sacrifices of the caregivers are acknowledged. Chicken Soup for the Caregiver’s Soul is for all caregivers and those who are dedicating their lives for the care of others.
Who Cares? The Give and Take of Family Caregiving by Jerry Bridge
Jerry Bridge is famous for his comedy, humor, and speeches. In 2016, he published Who Cares? The Give and Take of Family Caregiving. In this book, the comedian shares his personal experience working about caregiving. Between 2000 and 2013, Jerry lost his sister, brother, and mother to cancer. Jerry’s father almost lost his life as well due to depression. During this time, Jerry’s life changed as unforeseen, devastating impacts caused him to feel drained, isolated, and questioning his value as a person. Who Cares? is an extraordinary story of how one man found inspiration and guidance in counseling, journaling, self-reflection, and his sense of humor. Despite losing his loved ones, Jerry found renewal, inspiration, and peace of mind. Who Cares? is a must-read not only for professional caregivers but also for those who are currently battling the challenges of caring for a patient or a loved one.
No Saints Around Here: A Caregiver’s Days by Susan Allen Toth
Caring for a family is never easy. Caring for a husband or a wife is just heartbreaking. No Saint’s Around Here: A Caregiver’s Days is not a mere chronicle of a wife taking care of her husband with Parkinson’s Disease. It is a book filled with emotional outbursts, peevish, sometimes funny, and heart-breaking scenes, as Toth found solace ins documenting the final eighteen months of her husband James’s life. It is a work that features the harsh realities of taking care of someone you deeply love and at the same time seeing that person fade away. It is one of the many realities that many caregivers share. Susan Toth’s memoir is an expression of not only her grief but also of her gratitude to those who stood by her in her most desperate moments. No Saint Here speaks on behalf of those who devote their time, heart, and soul to the care of a loved one.