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Share the Care
by Cappy Capossela and Sheila Warnock (Fireside
Book, Simon & Schuster 1995)
Written
by two women who helped to care for their friend Susan through serious
illness and dying, this is a handbook for those facing a similar situation.
Susan was a single mother, living far from her parents and struggling for
years with recurring cancer. When she could no longer cope, her therapist
urged her to call all her friends and ask them to come to a meeting.
Out of this meeting Susan's "Funny Family" was formed. The authors
share their experience and explain how to create a caregiving family.
Using charts to schedule helpers for everything (meals, transportation,
cleaning, insurance paperwork, etc.) this group of friends was able to
help Susan without any one of them getting burned out. Some people
helped frequently, others occasionally. Cappy Capossela says "I learned
a lot about sickness and dying, but that was nothing compared to what I
learned about living." A caregiving "Family" can include friends,
real family members, and acquaintances. This book gives instructions
for organizing the introductory meetings, scheduling (includes sample forms)
and working through problems within the group. It offers a compassionate
and loving approach that can make the most of the people and resources
available to anyone struggling with a crisis.
-- reviewed by Cathy Myers
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Share the Care
Handbook for Mortals: Guidance for People
Facing Serious Illness
by Joanne Lynn, M.D. and Joan Harrold, M.D.
(Oxford University Press, 1999)
Many
people were involved in writing and editing this book, and among them they
have cared for thousands of people who died. It grew out of the work
of the Center to Improve Care of the Dying, and proceeds from the sale of
the book support the charitable organization Americans for Better Care of
the Dying (www.abcd-caring.com). In straightforward, clear language,
this book offers information about the psychological, physical, practical
and spiritual issues patients and family members face. It also includes
chapters about the dying of children, accidental or sudden death, and grieving.
Reading it can leave us better prepared for understanding and helping our
friends, relatives, and ourselves. We might even see new possibilities
where before we thought there was "nothing we could do."
-- reviewed by Cathy Myers
Order
Handbook for Mortals
Laurel's Kitchen Caring: Recipes for Everyday
Home Caregiving
by Laurel Robertson with Carol Lee Flinders
& Brian Ruppenthal, R.D. (Ten Speed Press, 1997)
Author
of well-known vegetarian cookbook (Laurel's Kitchen), in this book
Laurel Robertson turns her attention one very important aspect of caregiving:
food. She sounds like a wise, nurturing grandmother as she encourages
the cook/caregiver, provides special suggestions for children's food and
queasy eaters, and offers practical ideas for dealing with odd schedules
and restricted diets. The use of some herbal remedies and teas is
discussed, as well as hints for keeping the caregiver healthy during this
often stressful time. Many of the recipes are followed by a list
of variations whereby you customize for the patient by adding (flavor/protein/calories)
or subtracting (dairy/fat). Brian Ruppenthal is a registered dietician
and provides guidelines for keeping food hot enough or cold enough to be
safe as well as nutritional information throughout. It makes me feel
good just to have this book on the shelf so the ideas and inspiration are
at hand for those inevitable times when good, simple food is important
but hard to think about.
-- reviewed by Cathy Myers
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Laurel's Kitchen Caring
