This tale will ring true with all good people who have proud and fiercely independent elderly parents. It tells of the decisions the author had to make arising from the gradual change in his mother during the latter years of her life. It's about love, duty, guilt and remorse. At times funny, at times heart-warming, at times sad, it dares to relate the increasingly common but dreaded question faced by many - to care or not to care.

Working Daughter is a revelatory look at who's caring for our aging population and how these unpaid family caregivers are trying to manage caring for their parents, raising their children, maintaining relationships, and pursuing their careers. It follows the author, who was enjoying a fast-paced career in marketing and raising two children when both of her parents were diagnosed with terminal illnesses on the same day. In the challenges she faced and the choices she made, readers will learn how they can navigate their own caregiving experiences and prepare for when they are inevitably called on to care for their parents.

Explores the mother-daughter relationship in the context of caregiving Across the Unites States, about 34.2 million Americans have provided unpaid care to an adult age 50 or older in the last 12 months. Much of this caregiving is performed by women and often for their mothers or mothers-in-law, relationships that may be warm, fraught, or complicated. Even in the best of circumstances, caregivers can feel burned out, strained, and exhausted, but add to the mix the complicated emotions that come from caring for a loved one and you may have a perfect storm. Here, Jeanne Lord provides valuable emotional support and information for daughter caregivers to mother care-receivers during a stressful and uncertain time. It is unique in that it offers not only personal insights from caregiving daughters, but the perspectives of their mothers, as well. Lord followed the women on their journeys over the course of ten years, so the follow-up interviews give readers an opportunity to fast forward into the future lives of the caregiving daughters to read about their perspectives, and gain insights into new attitudes and ideas for life after caregiving. Through compelling stories and in-depth interviews, the very complex relationships between mothers and daughters in a caregiving situation are explored and revealed in an objective light. Offering comfort and understanding to the reader, the book also offers suggestions, ideas, resources, and support for navigating the care of their loved one.

Validation is a successful way of communicating with older adults with Alzheimer's-type dementia and responding to their challenging behaviors. The Validation method helps reduce stress, enhance dignity, and increase happiness for both the elder and the caregiver. Since its inception in 1989, Validation has helped thousands of professional and family caregivers improve their relationships with residents and loved ones with dementia by acknowledging older adults' expressed feelings rather than focusing on disorientation and confusion. Professionals will learn how to: Build relationships with residents based on empathy and compassion Understand and deal with challenging behaviors Interpret nonverbal cues to promote better communication Implement Validation in your own care setting through the experiences shared by Authorized Validation Organizations around the world The Validation method is easy to learn, and positive results can be seen in both residents and caregivers. Residents express less anger and anxiety, decreasing the need for chemical and physical restraints. Residents communicate more freely and more often. Residents often move better and experience an improved sense of self-worth. Staff members express a greater sense of fulfillment at work and feel better prepared for handling difficult situations. Families visit more often. The Validation Breakthrough is an essential resource for professionals in all settings serving adults who may be confused and disoriented, including assisted living facilities, skilled nursing facilities, hospice, home health care, adult day services, and family care settings. NEW to this edition: Updated language and explanations for the Phases of Resolution Revised case studies reflecting contemporary settings and issues Restructured content for clarity and ease of use

The authors have raised an important construct for all of us who work in the public sector regarding what underlies and directs the rapid advancement of technology solutions in developing and developed economies. . . DeMello and Furseth deserve credit for raising our awareness to the true driver behind the successful integration and acceptance of technology in this increasingly innovation-driven world: culture.' - from the Foreword, David A. Lindeman, Director CITRIS Health, University of California, Berkeley, Director, Center for Technology and Aging, US There is a growing trend toward innovation in public services, and the integration of public and private entities in their delivery. This book aims to improve the ability to innovate successfully in large-scale public/private endeavors. The authors develop an underpinning theory of innovation, and extend it to address key issues in public/private collaboration. As an example, they explore the subject of independent living for seniors and persons with disabilities across four countries - the US, UK, Norway and Japan. The resulting model provides a vehicle for all major stakeholders to better understand the dynamics of innovation, which will in turn offer the opportunity to improve performance and successful adoption. This book will provide useful insight for students of innovation, public service planning and delivery, and health and social services. In addition, the original opinion research on residents of the four countries will prove interesting for students of sociology and medical anthropology.

In this book, an award-winning journalist tells the story of people devising innovative ways to live as they approach retirement, options that ensure they are surrounded by a circle of friends, family, and neighbors. Based on visits and interviews at many communities around the country, Beth Baker weaves a rich tapestry of grassroots alternatives, some of them surprisingly affordable

-- an affordable mobile home cooperative in small-town Oregon

-- a senior artists colony in Los Angeles

-- neighbors helping neighbors in "Villages" or "naturally occurring retirement communities"

-- intentional cohousing communities

-- best friends moving in together

-- multigenerational families that balance togetherness and privacy

-- niche communities including such diverse groups as retired postal workers, gays and lesbians, and Zen Buddhists.

Drawing on new research showing the importance of social support to healthy aging and the risks associated with loneliness and isolation, the author encourages the reader to plan for a future with strong connections. Baker explores whether individuals in declining health can really stay rooted in their communities through the end of life and concludes by examining the challenge of expanding the home-care workforce and the potential of new technologies like webcams and assistive robots.

This book is the recipient of the annual Norman L. and Roselea J. Goldberg Prize for the best project in the area of medicine.

This book features nearly three hundred articles providing practical information on how to care for elders. Written by more than three hundred experts, this accessible state-of-the-art resource addresses home care, including family-based care; nursing-home care; rehabilitation; case management; social services; assisted living; palliative care; and more. Each article concludes with references to pertinent Web sites.

Tragically, some older people are abused in the very places where they should hope to find 'care'. This work contains perhaps the best analysis of the state of knowledge of this abuse at the time of writing, ten years ago. The problems they describe still exist, and the analysis remains relevant.

Southeast and East Asian countries are undergoing varying stages of population ageing. The social, economic and political implications of population ageing will be enormous, and because of the fast speed of ageing in the region, the countries cannot afford the luxury of time for the gradual evolution of social and structural support systems and networks for the older population. The essays in this volume critically examine national ageing policies and programmes, the sustainability of existing pension systems, housing and living arrangements, inter-generational transfer, and aspects of quality of life of the elderly population. While the findings show that most Southeast Asian countries have started to formulate and implement national ageing policies, they also indicate that the existing policies are by and large inadequate and underdeveloped in serving the needs of the older population and indeed much more must be done to prepare for the future.

Housing, Care and Inheritance draws on the author's long-standing research into housing issues surrounding the ageing society, a phenomenon which is now a concern in many mature economies. If an adult child provides care for their elderly parent, should that person be rewarded? If so, should they inherit their parent's house or a larger share of the assets? The 'generational contract' is often influenced by cultural norms, family traditions, social policy and housing market, so it is negotiated differently in different societies and at different times. Such generational contract is however breaking down as a result of socio-economic and demographic changes. Drawn from the two-part study funded by the UK Economic & Social Research Council, Misa Izuhara explores the myth and the changing patterns of the particular exchange of long-term care and housing assets between older parents and their adult children in Britain and Japan. Highly international and comparative in perspectives, this study addresses important sociological as well as policy questions regarding intergenerational relations involving housing wealth, long-term care, and inheritance.

This book is designed to be used by anybody working with older adults in residential, nursing and day care facilities. It provides a wealth of reminiscence material which can be used in a number of ways to rekindle memories and provide stimulating activity such as quizzes and discussion. Each year covered in the book is divided into the sections 'Major events', 'On the home front', 'Music', 'Television', 'Screen and page', 'Sport' and 'Do you remember?'. Many sections can be easily turned into quizzes and it would be simple to form a quiz from each year's material. One cannot cover all that happened in these years nor highlight all the associations each event or fact triggers, so the material is intended to be expanded on by the memories it triggers in clients during discussion. So, for example, where a film title is mentioned ask if people can recall the stars of the film, its plot and how it ended. The 'Major events' section will trigger lots of opinions too as it covers the political events of the decades so try to get the groups to discuss the ethical and moral dilemmas these posed at the time. The book is intended for use with individuals and groups but you will discover that in a group one persons memories will trigger another's and so what seems like a small topic can last for the whole session as we all try to tell our personal tales. While the content has a UK bias, it also covers the major world events of the decades but I have included a blank page for each year for you to record your own personal landmarks and achievements and also those of your local town or community.specialising in older adults mental health to a deeper level.

""Taking Care of Barbara" is an inspirational resource book for anyone living in the world of Alzheimer's. There are clear and concise caregiver tips and references in dealing with the everyday struggles that come with the progression of the disease. What a gift to know and be able to anticipate the needs of our loved one when they may not be able to communicate them. Most importantly, this book is a celebration of family and the relationship between the caregiver and the patient. It lifts the caregiver above the everyday struggles and reminds us of where to find the strength and joy in the frequent frustrations of the day. It inspires us to love beyond the external happenings and shows us there lies a deeper and greater gain that will enrich our spirit. The world of Alzheimer's may feel overwhelming, but this book encourages caregivers to get out of bed, put their feet on the floor and face the day with renewed strength and purpose."
-Kelly Cason Hunter, Hospice Volunteer, Pediatric Nurse

Based on seventeen months of ethnographic research among Indonesian eldercare workers in Japan and Indonesia, this book is the first ethnography to research Indonesian care workers' relationships with the cared-for elderly, their Japanese colleagues, and their employers. Through the notion of intimacy, the book brings together sociological and anthropological scholarship on the body, migration, demographic change, and eldercare in a vivid account of societal transformation. Placed against the background of mass media representations, the Indonesian workers' experiences serve as a basis for discussion of the role of bodily experience in shaping the image of a national "other" in Japan.

In a powerful blending of memoir and practical strategies from a medical doctor's perspective, The Gift of Caring: Saving Our Parents - and ourselves - from the Perils of Modern Healthcare reveals the hidden side of modern healthcare practices for aging Americans. This ground-breaking book, co-written by award-winning author Marcy Houle and nationally-recognized geriatrician and public health advocate, Elizabeth Eckstrom MD MPH, sheds new light on aging by showing it from twin perspectives: the story of a daughter desperately seeking help for the parents she loves, and a geriatrician who offers life-changing strategies that can protect our loved ones and ourselves. Today, for many older adults, the medical delivery system is confusing, fragmented, and ill-equipped to provide comprehensive, person-centered care. Under our current healthcare model, thousands of aging persons face unnecessary suffering, hospitalizations and nursing home stays, and even preventable death. Seniors and families often feel powerless as they travel this sad journey. Not having knowledge of aging's changes, they resign themselves to believing there is nothing anyone can do to help, while some health care professionals simply write off symptoms seniors endure as "just old age." But as Marcy Houle discovered in caring for her parents, many of the problems often are not "just old age." Further, the real issue is not that the answers to ease suffering don't exist. Rather, what we need to know is generally not available to the general public. Even more concerning, many health care professionals have had little or no training in the care of older adults. The Gift of Caring hopes to change that. It is written to give empowerment to all older adults, family members, and health care professionals, by sharing much needed knowledge and practical strategies. The Gift of Caring shows the best ways to advocate for our parent's health care ... and our own ... by giving us the tools we need to insist upon the better way. Your parents and you deserve the best healthcare as you age- But there are so many reasons why that's not happening.You can change that.

"The rapid Asian fertility transitions of the last few decades will lead to population ageing in the coming decades in one country after another. Societies can choose how they will respond to the rising share of the elderly, but there is no choice about the inevitable demographic trend. In this important volume, ably edited by Evi Nurvidya Arifin and Aris Ananta, demographers, economists, sociologists, and anthropologists analyse the implications of population ageing for family and community welfare and public policy. Most importantly, the authors emphasize the opportunities, as well as the costs of population ageing. Older persons have always been a source of unpaid family labour, and with changes in public perceptions, many healthy and productive elderly can make significant contributions to the broader community and society." - Professor Charles Hirschman, Professor of Sociology, University of Washington. "Ageing is increasingly being recognized as an important emerging issue in Southeast Asia. This book is a timely contribution covering key issues and concerns on the subject and is a clear clarion call to view older persons as assets rather than liabilities. The comprehensive overview and analysis, and experiences from various countries presented by scholars make this book a useful resource for better understanding of the critical issues. The thoughtful proposals provided for necessary future action on concerns that need to be addressed are worthy of consideration especially for building inclusive societies." - Dr Thelma Kay, Director, Social Development Division, UNESCAP, Bangkok. "A welcome and timely volume that realistically considers the challenges that the rapid increase in older persons pose for the family, community and society at large in the context of Southeast Asia. Most importantly, it shifts the focus from viewing older persons simply as liabilities to one that recognizes their value as an asset that can be enhanced through appropriate actions at each of these levels, especially ones that take into account the rapidly changing socio-economic and technological environment in which population ageing is taking place." - Professor John Knodel, Research Professor Emeritus, Population Studies Center and Professor Emeritus, Sociology, University of Michigan.

Informed by the author's work in dementia care and palliative care as a psychodynamic psychotherapist, Holding Time contributes to an increasing recognition of the importance and value of relationship-centred care in this field. Most of the book is written ethnographically and unfolds as a narrative. It also includes the real words of staff and residents from the care homes in which she conducted observations. Holding Time explores how the relational investment in care is vital alongside a technical one. The book does this by detailing the micro-interactions of everyday care and concern and play before moving out on to a wider, organisational and macro stage. It addresses our fears about dependency on a societal level, and attempts to challenge the foregrounding of the independent, rational individual over all other experiences. The author's contribution is particular to the UK dementia care home setting, and offers a predominantly psychoanalytic take. It is a contemporary exploration of the dementia care field, and contributes to the general movement to improve care of those living (and working) with dementia.

This book contains 14 papers written to celebrate the European Year of Older People and Solidarity between Generations in 1993. Issues of ageing are considered from the perspectives of demography, economics, social policy, sociology, community care, Buddhist philosophy, literature, and gender studies. The contributors from Germany, France and the UK include some of Erurope's most distinguished gerontologists.

"Perspectives on Later Life" looks at interdependency, social living, family conflict, social isolation and social networks, and loss and grieving. Issues of staff training, support and morale are covered in some depth. .".. exposes the inadequacy of training and support to staff based on outdated material reflecting out-dated attitudes ... The emphasis on the primacy of individual experience gives the book a particular relevance in the customer-oriented world of community care with its focus on individual user need, choice and advocacy rights.Community Care Contents: New Understandings of Later Life: Practice and Service ImplicationsAspects of Development in Later LifesDifferent Living Environments of Older PeoplesLater Life in Social ContextsSpecial Difficulties in AdjustmentsLoss and BereavementsI nformal CaresThe Contributions and Needs of Formal Carerss

This in-depth description of life in a nursing/care home for 70 residents and 40 staff highlights the daily care of frail or ill residents between 80 and 100 years of age, including people suffering with dementia. How residents interact with care assistants is emphasised, as are the different behaviours of men and women observed during a year of daily conversations between the author, patients and staff, who share their stories of the pressures of the work. Living Before Dying shows a world where, in extreme old age, people have to learn how to cope with living communally.