CARERS AND CARING

'The vital guide to old-age care no family can afford to ignore', whether due to old age, illness or disability, more and more of us are becoming carers to loved ones. Here is a complete handbook for anyone in a caring role, guiding you through the everyday administrative and emotional challenges of supporting a loved one. Dementia specialist Professor June Andrews offers accessible advice on managing your time, finances and family dynamics, accessing resources from the NHS and services, daily care such as physical assistance and meal preparation, and considering the transition from at-home to nursing home care. Friends, neighbours, family and partners are described as 'carers' throughout the book as well as husbands and wives who reject the term 'carer' as no one likes being put in a box, but there is good reason to be pragmatic about this definition. And of course caring can be a joy and a privilege and it's part of human life to care for others and can be a source of great happiness. The book is about helping, focussing on where things have gone wrong or are difficult and how they can be made better. There is a whole chapter on finance and how families are often involved in topping up care home fees. 271 page paperback.