In this practical manual, family carers expert David Levy sets forth how to evaluate priorities, understand options and face fundamental issues (legal, financial, emotional, social), so carers can make wise and informed decisions for their loved ones, while gaining peace of mind from knowing they did they best they could under the circumstances. Drawn from over twenty-five years of experience, author and expert, David Levy, provides family carers with a model for effective planning and decision-making, focusing on the nonclinical aspects of caring, which are often neglected by medical professionals: * Caring for young and old victims with disabilities, illness and chronic conditions. * Finding ways to make a struggling care system work * Preparing a plan for practical problem-solving * Developing a realistic view of how much care a loved one needs today and may need tomorrow and understanding that continuum of care * Assembling core information about a loved one's life * Locating resources that can make a difference in making sure a loved one's care needs are met * Deciding how to use information and resources effectively across time * Finding a good family carer support group * Overcoming the obstacles that the carer's feelings of distress and failure can create * Taking a practical approach to that overused phrase "Take care of yourself" * And much more . . .

Nobody expects their parent to get dementia. Nobody is prepared for it. But for Merideth, her mother did get dementia and for the next three years she became her full time carer. Caring for Somebody with Dementia describes the experiences of life with dementia over those three years. For all that time Dementia sat himself between Merideth and her mother - or at least he tried to. Dementia was a spiteful fellow and had brought with it the more obvious symptoms - delusions, anxiety, depression, memory loss. Caring for Somebody with Dementia details the causes of dementia, mechanisms for dealing with symptoms and offers advice on personal care, frailty and the practicalities of caring. It also gives insight into the vital issue of how to maintain communication with somebody with dementia. Caring for Somebody with Dementia is written with compassion, humour and love. As well as offering a wealth of practical information to others living or working with people with dementia the book puts a human face on the illness. It shows that while dealing with delusions, personal care and other day-to-day challenges it is possible for the carer to maintain a genuine unity with the person they are looking after and that caring can be a rewarding even inspiring experience. Merideth Sindel was born and raised in country New South Wales and now lives in Sydney. After school she studied Communications, specialising in Journalism. Later she studied Honours in Ancient History at University of New England, Armidale. She has written one novel, Erika, about a friend who was killed in a car accident.

Theirs had been a love story, a story of friendship, courtship and marriage, beginning when she was seventeen and he was a dashing Navy officer. It was a fairytale that never ceased-even Alzheimer's couldn't come between them. Phyllis Brown relives this one-of-a-kind love she shared with her husband, Bert, in HELP ME I'm Slipping. According to the Alzheimer's Association, there are many signs of the disease. The author noticed some of these signs in her husband, but she completely ignored them at first. A highly successful businessman, a gentle yet hardworking person who never stopped until he accomplished his goals, Bert was adept at hiding his memory loss. But as soon as it was confirmed that he had Alzheimer's disease, his wife went into action. Phyllis may not have been well-equipped with medical information and guidelines, but she was determined to give all her love and support to make the last years of Bert's life as happy as they could possibly be. HELP ME I'm Slipping follows the author's difficult yet rewarding experience as she helps her husband through the uncharted waters of Alzheimer's. From her journey, she shares lessons that she learned with her readers. In each day, she found something they could enjoy together: moments of love, and even fun and laughter. From strategies for helping her husband maintain his dignity to tips on activities that can be enjoyed daily, this book provides a truly inspiring testament to a love that endures.

Parental support is a well-accepted determinate of children's physical activities. Effective health education strategies may also include facilitating parental involvement in community and school advocacy related to their perceived need for changes. In this book, the authors present current research in the study of health education using parental and educators' perspectives, current practices and needs assessment. Topics discussed in this compilation include moving beyond the hierarchical knowledge/power nexus in anti-FGC campaigns in Africa; consensus, strategies, and potential health promoting schools; community as a setting for future-oriented health promotion in Austria; parental attitudes and perceptions related to their children's physical activity and eating patterns; influence on academic performance on perception and health habits against noise by Spanish secondary-school students; and the importance of parents and teachers as stakeholders in school-based healthy eating programs.

Most families have "skeletons" in the closet. For my wife's family, there was a Monster, a type of dementia that robs loving, intelligent individuals of everything-their dignity, their personality, their memory, their finances, and their minds. The "skeletons" are the remains of loved ones after the Monster has finished with them. The family members who are not devoured by this beast are, even so, crippled and maimed by its effects on their loved ones. Little did I know when Evelyn and I married in 1970 that this "Jabberwock" would come a'calling on us. My wife at age 60 is now vastly gone, with no memory of her children, or me, or our life together. To our horror, one of our children has tested positive for the autosomal dominant (inherited) gene that is the pathway for the dementia Monster's entrance. We pray for a cure. Dementia: The Monster Within is not an extensive explanation of dementia, although we show some of the science involved to help give understanding. It is first and foremost the story of our family, along with the stories of a few others who have met the Monster. Our experiences may be helpful in recognizing the initial assault. This book also provides a framework of essential steps necessary to prepare both caregiver and loved one for their futures. Most importantly, if you have been affected by this Monster, you should understand that you are not alone in your struggle. There is an enormous responsibility in giving balance when sharing hope of curing these diseases. It would be unconscionable to offer false hope. Yet, there is every reason to have hope. As we write, clinical trials are being conducted for treatments, but each individual needs to be realistic-not every disease will be "cured" before causing harm to some of our loved ones. Tens of thousands of scientists in hundreds of research facilities around the world are making discoveries about dementia almost daily. Some of these discoveries will lead to treatments, and some will lead to cures of some of the dementias. This enormous investment in research will pay off with dynamic discoveries. We cannot give up hope that the future holds a way to ... SLAY THE MONSTER

More people than ever are having to fund their own care without professional help to navigate what has become a very complex care system. This book sets out all your options in an easy to digest format so that you will feel coni-- dent about planning for your loved one's care and avoid the mistakes and massive disruption that comes from supporting an elderly relative without a professional to support you. When you read this book you will be able to: 1. Better navigate the complex British care system for older people 2. Choose a homecare agency or care home with coni-- dence 3. Be aware of the essential care standards you can expect from a registered care service 4. Understand the accommodation, care and support options available for older people 5. Find out whether your elderly loved one may be entitled to NHS or social care funding 6. Look out for signs of abuse and know what to do if you suspect abuse of a vulnerable person 7. And much more...

From the Prologue: Diagnosed with dementia in 1997, my husband, Jim, lived at home during his illness and died there in January 2006. I wish this story were fiction, but it is not. Dignifying Dementia is both a love story and an attempt to reach out to others who are living through or who will live through a similar tragedy. It is written in the hope that others might benefit from what I learned as the caregiver of a dementia victim. Only then will Jim's cruel affliction serve some purpose, because it might help others feel less lonely, bewildered, angry or frustrated than I did, shorten the dreadful learning curve, or encourage others to ask more questions and make fewer assumptions. And because it might remind members of the health care industry - from physicians to orderlies, from agency administrators to certified nursing assistants - that dementia victims and their loved ones are human beings who deserve respect, kindness, empathy and patience, so often lost in our fast-paced society. The diagnostic process I describe was painful and disappointing; perhaps someone else's caregiving experience might be easier. Caring for Jim was exhausting; perhaps someone else's might be less draining. Watching someone lose his or her mind and body is not polite. It is rude and mean-spirited. Dementia brutalized Jim and stole the love of my life from me. It altered him, us and me. This is not a medical text; it is the story of our experience with dementia and the lessons I learned as I tried to be Jim's voice, to maintain his dignity and to care for him and for me.

"IF I HAD UNDERSTOOD THE RIPPLE ON EFFECT OF MENIERE'S DISEASE, WE WOULD NOT HAVE LOST THE FAMILY HOME," says the Author. In this candid, honest and thought provoking book, he shares his personal experiences. What can go wrong and more importantly, how you can avoid the negative affects that can happen when you suffer from a long term chronic condition like Meniere's. Meniere's disease can affect not only your general sense of well being but your income, savings, future plans, friends, business partnerships and at the heart of it all, your closest personal relationships. A book every Meniere sufferer, their family, friends and partners should read to fully understand how having a long-term chronic condition, like Meniere's disease, can and will affect all your lives. And how you can help prevent this. Keeping life positive in a time of Meniere's. This self-help book may help you keep chaos out of other parts of your personal life. When you can do this, the negative effect of suffering from a long-term condition, shifts to a positive one as you have less stress and anxiety in your everyday life and more personal energy to deal and cope with the disease itself.

This Collection Of 18 Case Studies Covers A Broad Range Of Subjects Related To Health Care Quality Improvement Efforts. Ideal As Complement To The New Fourth Edition Of Continuous Quality Improvement In Health Care, These Case Studies Explore Themes Such As CQI In Ghana Malaria Control, CQI To Reduce Central Line Infections In Pediatric Hospital, A Mother'S Advocacy Group Against Medical Errors, WHO Safe Surgery Saves Lives Campaign, The Malcolm Baldrige Award Process In Health Care, Comparison Of NICE And Similar Agencies For Comparative Effectiveness Research, And Much More.

One day it happens: the dreaded event that will change your life forever. For Alix Kates Shulman, it happened in a remote seaside cabin on a coastal Maine island--where the very isolation that makes for a perfect artist's retreat can also put life at risk. Shulman woke to find that her beloved husband had fallen the nine feet from their sleeping loft and was lying on the floor below, deathly still. Though Scott would survive, he suffered an injury that left him seriously brain impaired. He was the same--but not the same.
In this elegant memoir, Shulman describes the ongoing anxieties and risks--and surprising rewards--she experiences as she reorganizes her world to care for her husband and discovers that what might have seemed a life sentence to some has evolved into something unexpectedly rich.

Thirty million people today care for ailing family members in their own homes--a number that will increase dramatically over the next decade as baby boomers enter old age, as soldiers return home from war mentally and physically wounded, as medical advances extend lives and health insurance fails to cover them.

Offering both companionship and guidance to the people who find themselves caring for their intimates, "An Uncertain Inheritance" is a collection of essays from some of the country's most accomplished writers. Poignant, honest, sometimes heartbreaking, often wry, and funny, here is a book that examines caregiving from every angle, revealing the pain, intimacy, and grace inherent in this meaningful relationship.

""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

The basic health care system in the United States is not working and must be fixed. The cost of a new, effective system of health care delivery would be instead of rather than in addition to what the US population is now paying for an inadequate, incomplete system. We must put the fiscal responsibility for health care delivery on the medical care sector that makes the decisions on what medications, what procedures and who gets treatment and when, that is, the providers of care, mostly the doctors. By doing this we can correct the more than fifty percent overpayment and misuse of funds currently in vogue. The book deals with the concept of the possibility of eventual coverage of everyone through the Medicare system as the current population ages. It explains the leverage that that single payer universal system such as Medicare, can generate to change the incentives for the providers of care resulting in a reduction of the overall cost. It also sets forth the concept of choice for the patient, the allocation of resources, and the restructuring of the medical education system as well as the recruitment and training of providers. Other problems such as organizational development, provider groups, malpractice, reinsurance through a universal system and other solutions are also dealt with. Today 45 million Americans have no health care coverage, while approximately 50 million are under insured due to high deductibles and co-payments. Many who are eligible for Medicare, federal health care insurance for the aged and Medicaid, federal health care for the poor, may be without coverage due to lack of access to services in the areas that they live. Practical solutions to these problems areaddressed. Robert Gumbiner, MD, with more than 40 years experience in the health care field as a practicing physician, a manager and a force in medical management education, derives much of his experience from successfully developing and managing one of the largest managed care companies in the United States for over 30 years. Drawing on this extensive management experience as well as years of studying health care systems around the world, Robert Gumbiner debunks the myths held by opponents to national universal health care and capitated prepayment. His development of the first capitated prepayment plan for Medical in the 60's in California and first contract for prepayment Medicare on the West Coast in the 80's gave credibility to his ideas that succeeded in reducing health care costs. He shows step-by-step how we arrived at our current dysfunctional system and argues persuasively how we have been misled by special interests in the medical/industrial complex into thinking a health care system funded through the government and managed for effective utilization will eliminate choice. In the final analysis the book's major theme is that the cost of a complete comprehensive system is "instead of and not in addition" to what we are currently paying and how to go about instituting such a system. It offers solutions that have been developed by the author throughout his long career in managing health care delivery systems. It is not a theoretical concept but based upon ideas, errors, successes and a logical, practical model.

Named a Best Book of 2008 by "Library Journal"

In a series of moving vignettes, the author begins by describing a particular representation of Water-Moon Kuan Yin, a Buddhist teacher and goddess associated with compassion, who often sits on a precarious overhang or floats on a flimsy petal. Then Kuan Yin steps out of the frame to join the author in the mundane challenges of caring for her father-transferring his health insurance, struggling with a wheelchair van, managing adult diapers, or playing in the fictions of dementia. From perplexed to poignant to funny, the vignettes record the working-class English of a fading but still wise dad, and they find other human versions of Kuan Yin in a doctor who will still make house calls or kind strangers in the street.

The book includes ten illustrations: both classical representations of Kuan Yin and also the author's own drawings, which adapt Kuan Yin in an act of practical spirituality, reading art through life and life through art. Each vignette invites the harried caregiver to take a deep breath and meditate on the trials and joys of caring for an aging parent.