Caring for a parent whose health is in decline turns the world upside down. The emotional fallout can be devastating, but it doesn't have to be that way. Empathic guidance from an expert who's been there can help. Through an account of two sisters and their ailing mother-interwoven with no-nonsense advice-The Emotional Survival Guide for Caregivers helps family members navigate tough decisions and make the most of their time together as they care for an aging parent. The author urges readers to be honest about the level of commitment they're able to make and emphasizes the need for clear communication with each other and their aging parent. While acknowledging their guilt, stress, and fatigue, he helps caregivers reaffirm emotional connections worn thin by the routine of daily care. This compassionate book will help families everywhere avoid burnout and preserve bonds during one of life's most difficult passages. --- from the publisher Reviews: "Whether you are an experienced or new family caregiver, you will recognize your dilemmas and challenges-and find valuable advice-in this book. Dr. Jacobs combines the skills of an engaging storyteller and a compassionate family therapist as he accompanies readers through the main journey and the byways of caring for an ill or disabled parent."-Carol Levine, Director, Families and Health Care Project, United Hospital Fund "[Dr. Jacobs] brings the realities of caring for an aging parent out of the shadows and into the light. If you find yourself in a caregiving role and want to protect and even enhance your family relationships, while also taking care of yourself, this book is a 'must read.' From sex to spirituality, Dr. Jacobs addresses our most pressing questions about the inevitable stresses and strains of caregiving." -Susan H. McDaniel, PhD, Wynne Center for Family Research and Department of Family Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry "I've known Barry Jacobs for many years, but not until I read the prologue to this book did I realize that as a child he had been part of a caregiving family. I should have known, though-only someone who has 'walked in the shoes' could have written such a compassionate and simultaneously helpful book. It reads like a novel but also provides really good, straightforward, worthwhile advice. This is a 'must read' for every family caregiver." -Suzanne Mintz, President and Cofounder, National Family Caregivers Association Contents: Prologue 1. First Days 2. Defining Commitments 3. Utilizing Support 4. Handling Sacrifice 5. Weighing Hope and Acceptance, Fantasy and Reality 6. Fostering Awareness and Flexibility 7. Protecting Intimacy 8. Sustaining the Spirit 9. Last Days Epilogue: Caregiving's Aftermath Resources About the Author: Barry J. Jacobs, PsyD, works with couples and families coping with serious health problems. He has faculty appointments at Temple University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Widener University, and is the Director of Behavioral Sciences for the Crozer-Keystone Family Medicine Residency Program in Springfield, Pennsylvania. He is also a widely published journalist who has written extensively for The Village Voice and other publications. Currently, he writes an advice column for Take Care!, the quarterly newsletter of the National Family Caregivers Association, and edits the “In Sickness & Health” column for the journal Families, Systems & Health. He lives with his wife and their two children in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.
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