The Gift of Caring: Saving Our Parents--and Ourselves--from the Perils of Modern

The Nile on eBay   The Gift of Caring by Marcy Cottrell Houle, Elizabeth Eckstrom, Jennie Chin Hansen

In a powerful blending of memoir and practical strategies from a medical doctor's perspective, The Gift of Caring: Saving Our Parents - and ourselves - from the Perils of Modern Healthcare reveals the hidden side of modern healthcare practices for aging Americans. This ground-...

FORMATPaperback LANGUAGEEnglish CONDITIONBrand New Publisher Description

In a powerful blending of memoir and practical strategies from a medical doctor's perspective, The Gift of Caring: Saving Our Parents – and ourselves - from the Perils of Modern Healthcare reveals the hidden side of modern healthcare practices for aging Americans. This ground-breaking book, co-written by award-winning author Marcy Houle and nationally-recognized geriatrician and public health advocate, Elizabeth Eckstrom MD MPH, sheds new light on aging by showing it from twin perspectives: the story of a daughter desperately seeking help for the parents she loves, and a geriatrician who offers life-changing strategies that can protect our loved ones and ourselves.Today, for many older adults, the medical delivery system is confusing, fragmented, and ill-equipped to provide comprehensive, person-centered care. Under our current healthcare model, thousands of aging persons face unnecessary suffering, hospitalizations and nursing home stays, and even preventable death. Seniors and families often feel powerless as they travel this sad journey. Not having knowledge of aging's changes, they resign themselves to believing there is nothing anyone can do to help, while some health care professionals simply write off symptoms seniors endure as "just old age." But as Marcy Houle discovered in caring for her parents, many of the problems often are not "just old age." Further, the real issue is not that the answers to ease suffering don't exist. Rather, what we need to know is generally not available to the general public. Even more concerning, many health care professionals have had little or no training in the care of older adults. The Gift of Caring hopes to change that.  It is written to give empowerment to all older adults, family members, and health care professionals, by sharing much needed knowledge and practical strategies. The Gift of Caring shows the best ways to advocate for our parent's health care … and our own … by giving us the tools we need to insist upon the better way.Your parents and you deserve the best healthcare as you age- But there are so many reasons why that's not happening.You can change that.

Author Biography

Marcy Cottrell Houle, MS, is a biologist and award-winning author. Her book Wings for My Flight won the prestigious Christopher Medal and The Prairie Keepers was a New York Times Notable Book and a Booklist Editor's Choice. She has published articles in the New York Times, Reader's Digest, and Nature Conservancy Magazine, and has been featured on NPR and national television programs and in periodical reviews. She lives in Portland, Oregon.Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH, is director of geriatrics in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics at Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU) and cofounder of the OHSU Healthy Aging Alliance. She has received many honors and recognition for her innovative work. In addition, Dr. Eckstrom is a sought-after national speaker and the author of numerous articles on geriatrics. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Table of Contents

Part I: The Airplane Diaries1 Colliding Worlds2 First DeclineWhat I Wish I'd Known: Early Warning Signs of Dementia (Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH)3 Panic Attack4 Countdown to AdvocacyWhat I Wish I'd Known: What Is Dementia, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Alzheimer's Disease . . . and How Do You Tell the Difference? (Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH)5 A New Way of Seeing6 PassagesWhat I Wish I'd Known: How to Find a Good Memory Facility (Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH)7 Montavilla BeginningsWhat I Wish I'd Known: Moving Day: How to Ease the Transition (Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH)8 Dallas II9 Visiting Hours10 The Phone CallWhat I Wish I'd Known: Falls—A Leading Cause of Death in Older Adults and What You Can Do to Prevent Them (Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH)11 Surgery for an Alzheimer's Patient12 It's a Matter of Life or DeathWhat I Wish I'd Known: A Deadly Fate with Few Symptoms—Dehydration—How to Recognize It and How to Prevent It (Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH)13 Forsaken14 No Man Is an Island15 Do No HarmWhat I Wish I'd Known: The Problem of Pain in Dementia and Why Millions of Seniors Are Suffering (Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH)16 Return of the ManPart II: A Good Ending17 A Radical PrescriptionWhat I Wish I'd Known: The Best "Anti-aging" Pill of Them All (Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH)18 No Senior Left InsideWhat I Wish I'd Known: The ABCs of Exercise (Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH)19 I'm Not Cedaring; I'm ScissoringWhat I Wish I'd Known: How to Ensure Parents' Wishes for Care Are Met—Before a Crisis Hits (Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH)20 Who's Shelby?What I Wish I'd Known: What Is a TIA? And What Do I Do If I Think My Parent Is Having One? (Elizabeth Eckstrom,MD, MPH)21 Stories from the Fall22 The Very Best Christmas Ever23 Three ThingsWhat I Wish I'd Known: The Art to Aging . . . Healthfully. . . for Your Body and Your Mind (Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH)24 I See Little Green MenWhat I Wish I'd Known: Come to Your Senses! The Value of Aids (Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH)25 Delirious26 Paging Doctor HIP!What I Wish I'd Known: What Delirium Is, and Why It's Essential You Know How to Spot It (Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH)27 "Sometimes It's Better If They Never Wake Up"What I Wish I'd Known: The Most Important Medical Word That Can Save Your Parent's Life—"Baseline"(Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH)28 Where Old People Are Sent to Die29 The Lazarus Syndrome30 A Hope and a Future31 So What's a Geriatrician and Why Should I Care?What I Wish I'd Known: The Tsunami Is Coming . . . and Why You Should Be Worried (Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH)32 PharmacopeiaWhat I Wish I'd Known: Too Many Pills—The Fourth-Leading Cause of Death in Seniors (Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH)33 The Search Begins34 Honey and Dummy35 Mountains and ValleysWhat I Wish I'd Known: The Care and Maintenance of Caregivers (Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH)36 Who's Taking the Trazadone?What I Wish I'd Known: How to Get a Good Night's Rest— Naturally (Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH)37 The Art of Caregiving38 Living to One Hundred39 And They Shall Inherit the Earth40 Go GICU! Stop Step-Down!What I Wish I'd Known: The Serious Problems of Today's Hospitals for Older Adults—Why We Need to Demand a Change Now (Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH)41 How to Pack for the Next Trip42 Faithful Companion43 Crossing the LineWhat I Wish I'd Known: What Is Palliative Care, and How Can It Help My Parents and Me? (Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH)44 A Good EndingAppendix 1 The Drugs Seniors Should Not Be On but Are Too Often Prescribed, as Determined by the American Geriatric Society "Beers List"Appendix 2 Health History Sheets: What Every Senior Must HaveAppendix 3 Continuity of Care: The Daily Checklist for You, Your Parent, Your Caregiver, and Your Doctor

Review

. .. .Eckstrom comes across as knowledgeable, clear and compassionate — the provider everyone's mother should have. Yet few of us will find someone similarly informed. .. .In fact, this is a book for everyone — if not this moment, then eventually. It will be a book to keep handy when the elderly in your life become frail; and beyond that, when you yourself begin to forget things and wonder if it's the onset of dementia or when the pill bottles begin to gather by the side of your bed. Reading this just might be the best preventative medicine you can find. * The Oregonian *This is a remarkable book. The story of Marcy Houle's family's discovery of their father having dementia reads like a novel. So many of the reactions a family can experience during this journey are portrayed in a caring but honest light. Houle's willingness to describe the struggles to accept the diagnosis and help her parents adjust serves as a model for other families facing this challenge. Hers is not a story just of struggle, but one also suffused with love and meaning. Dr. Eckstrom's chapters are very helpful—brief, but written in clear, understandable language, and very accurate. Hearing her approach to patients with dementia will enable readers to know what to look for in a caring and competent physician. -- Kenneth Brummel-Smith, MD, Charlotte Edwards Maguire Professor and chair, department of geriatrics, Florida State University College of MedicineHoule's story will resonate emotionally with anyone who has cared for a parent or older relative. It also offers a practical guide for readers who are care-giving now and who want to give their loved ones the gift of good care.- SeniorAdvisor.com * Senior Advisor *Informative, insightful, and clear, The Gift of Caring provides a moving exploration of what growing old means and how we as children, friends, and neighbors should respond. It provides extremely practical advice which serves as a wonderful roadmap to a better way of caring for older adults in America. I cannot recommend it highly enough. -- Rachelle Bernacki, MD, MS, director of quality initiatives, Adult Palliative Care, DFCIWith the growth of the elderly population, particularly those over eighty-five years of age, there is a tremendous need for resources like The Gift of Caring. There is so much to be learned from others who have traveled this road. -- Dr. David B. Reuben, chief of Geriatric Medicine, UCLA; past president of the American Geriatric Society; past chair of the board of directors of the American Board of Internal Medicine'This is a book for everyone- if not this moment, then eventually. It will be a book to keep handy when the elderly in your life become frail; and beyond that, when you yourself begin to forget things and wonder if it's the onset of dementia or when the pill bottles begin to gather. Reading this just might be the best preventive medicine you can find. ' * The Oregonian *"Must Have Book for Caregivers. .. .This book has a really interesting approach. Marcy Cottrell Houle – a professional writer – writes a memoir about caring for her Dad with Alzheimers and her frail mother. The story is interspersed with expert advice from Dr. Eckstrom that the author wishes she had known about avoiding pitfalls in our modern healthcare system. It's new and definitely will serve you well." – Anne Tumlinson * Daughterhood.org *

Long Description

In a powerful blending of memoir and practical strategies from a medical doctor's perspective, The Gift of Caring: Saving Our Parents - and ourselves - from the Perils of Modern Healthcare reveals the hidden side of modern healthcare practices for aging Americans. This ground-breaking book, co-written by award-winning author Marcy Houle and nationally-recognized geriatrician and public health advocate, Elizabeth Eckstrom MD MPH, sheds new light on aging by showing it from twin perspectives: the story of a daughter desperately seeking help for the parents she loves, and a geriatrician who offers life-changing strategies that can protect our loved ones and ourselves. Today, for many older adults, the medical delivery system is confusing, fragmented, and ill-equipped to provide comprehensive, person-centered care. Under our current healthcare model, thousands of aging persons face unnecessary suffering, hospitalizations and nursing home stays, and even preventable death. Seniors and families often feel powerless as they travel this sad journey. Not having knowledge of aging's changes, they resign themselves to believing there is nothing anyone can do to help, while some health care professionals simply write off symptoms seniors endure as "just old age." But as Marcy Houle discovered in caring for her parents, many of the problems often are not "just old age." Further, the real issue is not that the answers to ease suffering don't exist. Rather, what we need to know is generally not available to the general public. Even more concerning, many health care professionals have had little or no training in the care of older adults. The Gift of Caring hopes to change that. It is written to give empowerment to all older adults, family members, and health care professionals, by sharing much needed knowledge and practical strategies. The Gift of Caring shows the best ways to advocate for our parent's health care ... and our own ... by giving us the tools we need to insist upon the better way. Your parents and you deserve the best healthcare as you age- But there are so many reasons why that's not happening.You can change that.

Review Quote

With the growth of the elderly population, particularly those over eighty-five years of age, there is a tremendous need for resources like The Gift of Caring. There is so much to be learned from others who have traveled this road.

Details ISBN1493034081 Author Jennie Chin Hansen Publisher Rowman & Littlefield ISBN-10 1493034081 ISBN-13 9781493034086 Format Paperback Imprint The Lyons Press Place of Publication Guilford Country of Publication United States Pages 336 DEWEY 362.19897 Year 2018 Short Title The Gift of Caring Language English NZ Release Date 2018-10-26 US Release Date 2018-10-26 Publication Date 2018-10-26 UK Release Date 2018-10-26 Edition Description Updated Subtitle Saving Our Parents—and Ourselves—from the Perils of Modern Healthcare Audience General AU Release Date 2018-09-14 Illustrations Illustrations; Tables We've got this

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