The Family Caregiver's Manual

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 ...