The Unofficial Guide to Eldercare

This book is a lifesaver. I've been providing eldercare for several months, and I've looked for books to help me deal with a range of caregiving issues. Many books treat the reader like an moron. This one treats you like an intelligent adult. It starts with an overview of eldercare, then deals with organizing finances and records, different options for where your elder can live, and legal and social issues. What I liked best, though, was all the human elements it discussed. I've been able to get the legal information elsewhere. But only here have I seen a really helpful discussion of how tricky it is to deal with exhaustion, anger, and stress, and especially how to deal with other family members! Eldercare is not just about the caregiver and elder--there are a lot of personalities involved, and by reading this book, I realized someone else out there understood this and was willing to give good advice. I've recommended the book to friends who are facing what I'm going through--that's the highest praise I can give.