The Good Caregiver
Publisher Avery/Putnam, March 1, 2011
A One-of-a-Kind Compassionate Resource for Anyone Caring for an Aging Loved One
Caregiving is hard work. Few are prepared to take it on. The Good Caregiver is a survival guide with an insider’s perspective, for the millions of people who find themselves in a role they never trained for: caring for aging loved ones.
As Americans live longer, more people than ever require long-term care during their last years—and adult children become unsuspecting caregivers for their parents. Most of these new caregivers are unprepared financially, emotionally, and practically. They are overwhelmed with questions about the relentless job they will face, such as:
•How does a nursing home differ from assisted living?
•How is a homemaker different from a home health aide?
•How far can you trust a hospital discharge planner?
•What services does Medicare cover?
•What are the potential legal and financial hurdles caregivers face?
•Where does a caregiver turn for help?
The Good Caregiver by Dr. Robert Kane provides a road map of clear and fearless answers. Dr. Kane offers his wealth of professional knowledge as a world-renowned aging expert, and also draws on his personal experience caring for his aging mother in her last years. Plentiful charts, lists, and tables make answers easy to find. And compelling stories from other caregivers offer comfort and much needed humor. Dr. Kane offers honest, straightforward, and heartfelt advice for those learning how to best care for their loved one and how to make thoughtful, informed decisions at each stage of the caring process.
“[Dr. Kane] retains the rare ability to communicate in a jargon-free way that resonates with lay people … I find his advice accessible, sensible, never sugar-coated and-perhaps most important-a particular comfort at times when we feel ignorant, helpless and overwhelmed. I can think of no better balm for the growing number of family care-givers than the admission, by a renowned expert in the field, that this is really hard stuff for everyone.”
–Jane Gross, New York Times
“Dr. Kane is not just one of the world’s foremost authorities in geriatric medicine and long-term care, he is also a passionate advocate for the ill-met needs of people facing the real and difficult realities of an aging society…This book combines a kind of pilot’s check list for families entering unchartered territory, but it also steers them with a steady hand toward a place of dignity, and what comforts the world allows in their time of need.”
–Ted C. Fishman, journalist (National Geographic, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and other publications)
“No one in America knows more about aging than Dr. Robert Kane-not only the scientific underpinnings of what causes it and how to responsibly stave it off-but more importantly, how to address its inevitability. This book will come as indispensble manual for anyone with a parent or grandparent approaching the Act III in life.”
–Dan Buettner, author of The Blue Zones
“Robert Kane’s, The Good Caregiver is an essential resource for anyone who is facing – or immersed in – the job of caring for an elderly relative or friend.”
–Ira Byock, M.D. Professor, Dartmouth Medical School, author of Dying Well and The Four Things That Matter Most
“A unique and much needed resource. Caregivers will find this book both informative and reassuring.”
–Mathy Mezey, EdD, RN, FAAN, Associate Director, The Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, NYU College of Nursing
“Dr. Robert Kane was kind enough to personally talk me through the steps to take care of my father who had Parkinsons. His book, The Good Caregiver should be in every household to help answer questions while caring for a loved one. Dr. Kane is an Angel!”
–Cheryl Tiegs, American model and actress
