A Caregiver’s Reading List

After writing about caring for the high-care needs of aging parents, we thought we’d do a quick check on whether or not there are books out there that specifically address this issue.  Not a problem there!  There are tons of books that caregivers can read during their down time.

You can find all of these books at your local bookstore, library or online.  We hope these books help you with your unique situation in caring for your aging parents and family members.  Please note we are not providing reviews on these books – we are compiling a list and the descriptions below are straight from the publisher.  

• Difficult Mothers, Adult Daughters: A Guide for Separation, Liberation & Inspiration – by Karen C.L. Anderson

For any adult daughter who struggles with a narcissistic, controlling, or otherwise difficult mother, here’s the good news: Your mother doesn’t have to change in order for you to be happy. Inspired by her own journey, Karen C.L. Anderson shows women how to emotionally separate from their difficult mothers without guilt and anxiety, so they can finally create a life based on their own values, desires, needs, and preferences.

• How to Care for Aging Parents, 3rd Edition: A One-Stop Resource for All Your Medical, Financial, Housing, and Emotional Issues – by Virginia Morris

Now completely revised and updated, this compassionate, comprehensive caregiver’s bible tackles all the touch subjects, from how to avoid becoming your parent’s “parent,” to understanding what happens to the body in old age, to getting help finding, and paying for, a nursing home.

• The Conscious Caregiver: A Mindful Approach to Caring for Your Loved One Without Losing Yourself – by Linda Abbit

“The Conscious Caregiver is a beautiful and well-rounded book written from experience and the heart. It is a much-needed tool to help those both experienced and new to caregiving stay present through the many steps of caregiving.

• Doing the Right Thing: Taking Care of Your Elderly Parents, Even If They Didn’t Take Care of You – by Roberta Satow

One of the first books to help navigate the profound emotional challenges of caring for elderly parents in a strained parent-child relationship.

• They’re Your Parents, Too!: How Siblings Can Survive Their Parents’ Aging Without Driving Each Other Crazy – by Francine Russo

 Written by a veteran journalist who chronicles life and how baby boomers live it, They’re Your Parents, Too! offers all the information, insight, and advice you’ll need to make productive choices as you and your siblings begin to assume your parents’ place as the decision-making generation of your family.

• Dr Ruth’s Guide for the Alzheimer’s Caregiver: How to Care for Your Loved One without Getting Overwhelmed…and without Doing It All Yourself – by Dr. Ruth K Westheimer

The tactics and resources presented in this book build confidence in the caregiver and provide health-guided advice on how to avoid burnout, seek support from family and friends, resolve family disputes, maintain a loving relationship with a spouse or parent with Alzheimer’s, manage behavior, and make the home a safe environment. Keeping the best interests of everyone involved in mind, the guide also details how to coordinate effectively with doctors, facilities, and other care providers.

• Children of the Aging Self-Absorbed: A Guide to Coping with Difficult, Narcissistic Parents and Grandparents – by Nina W. Brown

Growing up with a parent who is self-absorbed is difficult, and they may become more difficult to deal with as they age. This essential book shows how to cope with your aging parent’s narcissistic behavior, and provides tips to help protect yourself and your children from their self-absorbed, destructive actions.

• Coping With Your Difficult Older Parent : A Guide for Stressed-Out Children – by Grace Lebow and Barbara Kane

Do You Have An Aging Parent Who —

• Blames you for everything that goes wrong?
• Cannot tolerate being alone, wants you all the time?
• Is obsessed with health problems, real, or imagined?
• Make unreasonable and/or irrational demands of you?
• Is hostile, negative and critical?

For the first time, here’s a common-sense guide from professionals, with more than two decades in the field, on how to smooth communications with a challenging parent. Filled with practical tips for handling contentious behaviors and sample dialogues for some of the most troubling situations. 

• How to Say It to Seniors: Closing the Communication Gap with Our Elders – by David Solie

A practical guide to bridging the generation gap. In How to Say It to Seniors, geriatric psychology expert David Solie offers help in removing the typical communication blocks many experience with the elderly. By sharing his insights into the later stages of life, Solie helps in understanding the unique perspective of seniors, and provides the tools to relate to them.