The Reluctant Caregivers: Learning to Care for a Loved One with Alzheimer's

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Although Hendershott has spent many years teaching and writing about the sociological aspects of aging, she writes that none of this could have prepared me for the overwhelming challenge of caring for my own mother-in-law in my home. She introduces baby boomers as the unexpected caregivers of the coming decades. The process of family denial about symptoms, work-family conflict, and the unique problems of children of caregivers are explored in an effort to find solutions to the caregiving challenge. Social science research is made accessible and is coupled with anecdotal information gleaned from interactions with other caregivers and personal experience. Throughout the book, Hendershott shows family caregivers that by gaining insight into their motivations for caregiving and by drawing from family support and help from the community, they can move beyond maladaptive caregiving coping styles, to a rewarding reality-based caregiving experience.

Reviews

"Both the book and bibliography should be helpful to family caregivers and should be required reading for health professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as general readers -- all who work with families caring for an Alzheimer's patient."-Science & Technology
"[This] book will be a valuable contribution to assist other caregivers in their journey! I look forward to sharing it and using it as a reference."-Marge Galante Director, George C. Glenner Alzheimer's Family Centers, Inc.
"It is so well written with such honesty, it surely will be a lifeline to those family caregivers yet to come. The Reluctant Caregivers is inspiring and offers honest reflections on the common and frustrating problems confronting family caregivers. This book is a must for families struggling in the world of Alzheimer's disease."-Joy Glenner President/CEO, George C. Glenner Alzheimer's Family Centers, Inc.
Both the book and bibliography should be helpful to family caregivers and should be required reading for health professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as general readers -- all who work with families caring for an Alzheimer's patient.-Science & Technology

Author Bio

ANNE HENDERSHOTT is Professor of Sociology at the University of San Diego. She has written and taught about work-family issues and is a frequent presenter at gerontology workshops and conferences.