Home-Care-Services Books

"Am I doing the right thing?" Every adult child of a family member requiring eldercare asks this question. The Complete Eldercare Planner will help today's busy caregivers with medical, financial, and personal issues by condensing hours of research into a concrete plan of action. In one volume, readers will learn about emergency preparedness; how to tell when your elder needs help; talking about sensitive subjects; sharing the care; long-distance assistance; money and legal matters; health and wellness; insurance; housing; safety; transportation; maintaining quality of life; aging with a disability; death and dying; and more.

This carefully designed guide also presents material in an unusually accessible way, with dozens of checklists, step-by-step mini-planning guides, lists of low-cost/free resources, website index, questions to ask with places to write down answers, spaces to record elder's vital medial, financial, and personal information, and more.

This book is full of clear, common-sense talk, just the thing I needed when I bought it. Dealing with an aging parent can be tricky in the best of circumstances, and at worst can threaten the whole family structure. The level-headed advice in this book can help to keep things on track, and can help family members to develop the best plan for dealing with their particular situation, as it did with us.

I did a "speed-read" of the book in the 24 hours before a family conference. I did note a fair amount of repetition of ideas in the book, but that is not necessarily a bad thing: if you're reading just the chapters that seem most relevant, then that's where those ideas need to be mentioned. One bonus: reading the book made it clear to me that I need to be doing some elder planning for myself, and with my own children, to make things easier for them later.

For those who have been, or will be, managing the health and financial welfare of your elderly parents, this book provides very helpful and detailed guidelines on how to do this with tact and compassion, as well as providing numerous resources. I ordered copies for all of my siblings. Best resource I found on the subject.

7-22-05 -- Recently I found myself along with 3 other siblings and spouses thrust into new uncharted waters in a totally new season of our lives. Suddenly and without any training we were and continue to this day having to take care of my aging parents. I for one will freely admit that as a child I was never trained, prepared, nor exceptionally gifted to undertake such a task. It is just not the type of thing that you can ever really get to a line and say ready...set...go...and do it very well. Elderly health care in 2005 does not always afford us the luxury of any long preparation either emotionally or financially.

Suddenly unmercifully and usually without warning you hear over the phone in the midst of a busy American routine those words you dread. It's Cancer, a stroke, or replacement surgery, just minor or major operations which means weeks of homecare and hospitalization's, etc., You are suddenly no longer swinging a few bats warming up in the on deck circle there in safety at a bit of distance. But you find yourself thrust into the batters box. You are no longer the stand by just in case fill in player who dressed for the game just in case you would or might be needed. But suddenly with a phone call, you find yourself thrust without any prior warning into the batters box. You are to take charge with 3 others voices and votes, your parents primary healthcare.

Now, if you call a frantic call for "HELP" in the middle of the night when just the week before things were okay a warning, well then, you're doing better than we were. You find yourself suddenly up at the plate with bases loaded, two outs, bottom of the ninth your teams behind 3 runs. To top it off you're facing a 94mph fastball pitcher who also throws a mean slider called the reality of life. You have never been good at hitting these kinds of pitches. Much less being the homerun hitter the team needs at this moment and are all looking to you now for. Then you hear through your wife there is a book available on just such a thing. It allows you to calmly and logically check out all of your options. It tells you in simple language just how you go about walking through this difficult mine field you've been thrust into without training or any real prior warning. It tells you how to do this without losing your mind, your family unity, and most of all your parents dignity.

I found myself literally reading the pages of Joy's, "Elder Care" wonderful "How TO" book on the plane going headed to Florida. I was then going there for my Dad's 80th B-day party as well as a visit to help out for 10 days at my elderly parents. Little did I know then, that I would see those 10 days turn suddenly into 46 long and hectic days I ended up spending there. Little did I realize as I paged through this how to book on Elderly Care that it would be like a daily Bible to me. I was literally reading a chapter ahead of the events as they unfolded in the next days. It was giving me the answers to question I had not yet asked, but found myself doing so in the next days to follow.

As a former Eagle Scout, USMC SGT., Police Officer, Business owner, 20 years as a Lay Minister and being Happily Married to the same woman for over 26 years now, I'd received lots and lots of great training. Even you will have to admit that this background covers a lot of diversified and really good training. But nothing, absolutely nothing, but my Faith prepared me emotionally, physically, or all of us financially for the events that would suddenly and totally unwelcomed show up in the middle of the night. They just seem to attack you without ceasing on these issues when it's "Your Mom or Dad."

Thank you Joy, for the time it must have taken you and the wealth of information this book contains. I personally know that it was truly a Godsend at a time of crisis in our lives. It still today continues to guide us along these slippery slopes. But because of this well timed work of Mercy and Grace, we have maintained as a family, and continued to allow my parents their Dignity and somewhat their independence. I believe this book will help answer the question of the heart on elderly care and give you practical and timely information to steer you to through the minefields of elderly care life. You should have a copy on the shelf in your own homes and be reading it now, if your parents are near or reaching retirement age.

We waited and it caught us totally by surprise. But it didn't catch Joy by surprise...I personally believe that she was obedient to the Spirit of God to produce this work for a time such as this. Our generation will Thank Her one day I believe for her unselfish actions in writing this Elder Care "How To Bible" for the uniformed. The Word of God says that "...my people perish for a lack of knowledge..." I believe that this book is full of knowledge that will help us all in our moments of crisis and bring life and health to all who read it.

Thanks for listening to my lengthy review and a very special Thanks to You Joy. You just keep on writing Joy and we will keep getting filled with the great knowledge we all need and can practically use for our loved ones. God Bless you and again... Thank you from our families hearts to yours.

God Bless You,
David D. Spaulding

My mother in law needs so much care and we had no clue on what to do. We bought this book and we bought the 36-Hour day. We are completely sure now that we are making the right choices because of the tips in both of these books. I recommmend this book highly.

This book is full of information that has helped our family understand and support our family member who has memory problems.

This book has many useful suggestions and shows a deep understanding of the challenges of caregiving for someone with dementia. It was comforting to read the short descriptions of situations and how to react to them. It made me less irritable with caring for my relative. I plan to get another copy to have available for when I meet other people who face the same issues.

A truly remarkable and instructional guide for care givers of people with dementia or alzheimers. So much of what was going on in my mother's life at this stage, began to make sense to me and I was better prepared to help her. Great book!

Nuria Fernandez
Chicago

An extremely helpful book for those who are experiencing dementia and/or Alzheimer's with a loved one. You are not alone! And all those strange things that are happening are not out of the ordinary for the condition. This book covers the basics, and provides helpful suggestions for living with, caring for, and coping with dementia and your love one.

This is an excellent book. It is written in a warm and caring manner which is easy to understand. It is full of information not just for anyone dealing with a dementia patient, but for anybody who is caring for another person, (or who may think at some point they will). It covers subjects which apply to the caring of anyone who is ill and/or elderly, even if it is not dementia. I would recommend this book to anyone, before they are faced with the illness. I wish I'd read it sooner, but better late than never. Absolutely a great book, it should be in every library. I plan to buy 2 copies for my library, I will definitely NOT donate mine. I can't say enough good things about this book.

As an adoptive mother to be, I found this book enlightening. It's easy to read, informative and gives simple ideas for creating a life book. It's been a great find and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who's thinking about adopting too. If you manage to read it prior to your adoptive child arriving home, you'll get lots of useful hints on what to look out for while you're still in the adoption process.

This is a must do for anyone who is adopting, it was easy and full of great ideas. Thank you

This book has been in print for a while, and I hope the author comes out with a 2nd edition, because it is a wonderful, wonderful book, full of helpful practical information about making a lifebook. And a lifebook is an important thing for an adopted person! I'm only just beginning to understand its importance.

I made a lifebook for my daughter 3 years ago. After it was read a few times it sat on the shelf, ignored. But this year, in 2nd grade, when she was asked to bring the 5 most important things to class that say something about who she is, the lifebook was one of them. You just never know.

I was disappointed when I was 20 pages or so into the book because it was not nearly what I had hoped for. It is a bit disorganized and feels more like a handout at a class, than a professional book. It also seems to be outdated in terms of some of the ideas (scrapbooking and film photos)and there are also some errors in the references and links. If it were cheaper I wouldn't have minded so much! But I also realized that I have been volunteering in adoption education for many years, and have many friends, virtual and IRL, who have adopted who have helped me with most of the issues this book addresses. However, if I had not had so much exposure to it I would have found the ideas in the book more enlightening. Basically, it's a fundamental idea for adopted children and if you do not have a large support base (helpful CW's, friends with experience, etc) this book will be extremely useful to you. If you are more experienced you might want to borrow it from a friend or the library if you can find it.

Review by Sherry North, Author, Because You Are My Baby

We are in the process of adopting a child from Kazakhstan, so I bought this book to help us collect information and memories for making a lifebook. While the text is a bit haphazard- information is often repeated and the topics seem to jump around - I would still recommend the book. It has given me a new perspective on how to talk to our child's caregivers and which tidbits of information or mementos to look for while we are in Kazakhstan. It also has sample lifebook pages, which will be a wonderful guide when I sit down with our child to make her lifebook.

The Unlit Path by Deborah Hannah shows an inspirational demonstration of courage, faithfulness, and forgiveness. I am not an adoptive parent, but was reading this from the view point of a parent, grand parent, and former educator. I can't personally relate with the sacrifices and heartbreak that some foster/adoptive parents face, but this book gives me sympathy and understanding of their challenges. I recently retired after spending 30 years in the classroom. I wish I would have had this book earlier in my career to help interact and understand children and parents who may have been experiencing children with R.A.D. and other difficulties . I admire the Hannah's Christian values and faith and admire how they allowed God to help them through their tears of heartbreak and frustrations. Their love for each other, their children, and their unconditional forgiveness is an example for all of us. Adoptive/foster parents, educators, and social workers would benefit from reading this book. The book is very well written. It's a real page turner. I couldn't put the book down!

As a foster parent this book was very realistic and hit home on a lot of levels.

I highly recommend this wonderful book!! I read it in one sitting; I simply could not put it down. The Hannah family's journey through foster parenting and adoption mirrored my own. My family started fostering children around the same time that the Hannah's did and we have experienced many of the same break downs in the child welfare system that they have. This book is a must read for anyone looking into the possibility of fostering children and also for anyone who knows foster families. The isolation foster families feel when everyone around them starts questioning their parenting, not realizing that the children are very, very ill and need to be parented differently is devastating. The journey towards healing and forgiveness is very uplifting and motivating. Deborah Hannah conveys her joy, betrayal, disillusionment and forgiveness simply and clearly. She gives us the message that life does go on.

This book is fantastic! It takes an honest look at the adoption and foster care system and the sometimes heartbreaking trails that come with fostering and adopting. I felt like Deborah was writing my story and the story of so many other families I know. I deeply appreciated her willingness to be transparent. For so many of us who feel alone in our struggles, this is a must read.

This was an amazing book!! I am currently on my way to becoming a foster parent, so I decided to read this book. I started reading it yesterday morning, and finished at 2 o'clock this morning. I couldn't stop reading. I cried while reading it, it was so sad, but I don't regret hearing the story. It needed to be told.

The author has a beautiful way with words, and the book was an easy read. It flowed very well.

I wish this book was much longer--I wanted to know more. The story of a family with the resources to have a luxurious easy life, but chose to open their home and hearts to children who had less than nothing. The selflessness of this family is amazing. I just couldn't have done it. I couldn't have divided myself into so many pieces and have coped with the disorganization. But, I wholeheartedly admire the people who can. Such an inspiring story. Don't miss it!

What an amazing book this is. I was thinking about fostering children and this book was so helpful in my decision. Kathy writes with honesty and although I'm usually not one to cry, through the joy and pain in this book I cried three different times. I couldn't put it down.

This book is fantastic! It offers a realistic view of what raising fostor children is like. It shows the good and the bad, yet I have never wanted to be a fostor parent more!

I loved this book. As a therapist who has just written a book about a teen girl in foster care I think it's important to focus on the incredible work that foster parents do. They are our unsung heroes! Thank you Kathy!!!!! For a fictional, uplifting account of the journey of a teen in foster care (inspired by the foster children I've worked with in the past) check out my soon-to-be released young adult novel, RETURNABLE GIRL. Maybe it will inspire you to bring a child home.

This book is about Kathy Harrison's real life as a foster mother and the story about a couple of the children that came into her home. She talks about her true emotions and feelings as she tries to hold these "shattered" children together with, as she puts it, just love and "band aids."

Augusten Burroughs (author of Running with Scissors) said about this book...."Shocking, brutal, heartbreaking and ultimately redemptive, This is the riveting and profoundly moving story of a hero, disguised as an ordinary woman. And like every hero, it's the children she is out to save."

Unlike Augusten I did not find the book "shocking" but honest and realistic to what every foster mom goes through. I could not believe how close our stories were as I read this book. You could have taken out the names of her children and drop in some of mine, tweak their story a little, and it wouldn't ring any truer then what we have seen and gone through.

I cried as she wrote about letting Lucy go to an adoptive home. She loved Lucy but not in the same way as the children she adopted. She wanted to keep her but also wanted Lucy to have that unconditional, total love she deserved. The pain of letting Lucy go tore open those feelings and what we went through with two little boys I had for three years.

She writes about her desire to reach ever child that walked into her home and the heartbreak when she realized love, food, clothes, a home, and safety wont/cant heal all their wounds.

She talks about the times caseworkers have such caviler attitudes to their lack of action that keeps a child in the system longer then need be, or keeps them off the adoption list longer. It reminded me of the unfelt and off the hand "sorry" and "oh, well" I have heard so often. But like her, I don't know how to change things, nor do I have the time to try because there is "another child coming through my front door that needs me."

I understood as she talked about the times she stood tall and strong when she felt the weakest, because it was best for the children. Telling the emotions every foster parent feels behind closed doors. The love she has for the strength and unbelievable timing her husband had at being there when she needed him. I understood the times she wanted to yell at a parent for smoking around the baby in her care but struggles with what is good for the baby and the need to keep the communication open between them. The honest hate she felt for some of the parents that have abused the children in her care but at the same time struggle as she realizes that most likely the bio-parents were children in the same situation when they were young and haven't learned anything different. The hope that what she was doing would change things in some way screamed what every foster parent prays is true. It made me think she had a hidden camera in my home that could read my thoughts and feelings I never let others see.

The hardest part of the book, for me, was the roller coaster of emotions they went on as they tried to adopt Karen. She is elegant in relating the fear of loosing a child that, in your heart, is already yours. A feeling that can't be explained or even come close to being logical. She maps out the joys of moving forward, the pains of more hold ups, the relief that the children are in your care, but the lingering dread that things could change in an instant. She revels how everything is devastatingly out of our control and we have to stay on till the ride is done.

She is most honest about not being a saint, or perfect, or even close to perfect. I laughed so hard when she wrote about the attachment case workers visit. She says she remembers her weakest moments (when she said something she shouldn't of or didn't handle a situation the right way) when people call her a saint; so do I. It only takes one or two human reactions to realize we are not saints or perfect; but she honors us with "a warrior" doing our best.

However, she also shows why we keep doing what we do for these children. The ability to see more in these children then others do and the wonderful feeling we get when the children reach not their potential (because it is rare we get to see this) but better then when they came to our door and father then others thought they could. This might be a simple smile, or a giggle, a sentence everyone understood, going a week with out an out burst, a day with out harming themselves, or the ability to care about something other then themselves for a second or two.

I could go on and on but if you want to see what it is like to be a foster parent....read this book! If you are a foster parent and want to know you are not alone....read this book!

As author of Eldercare for Dummies, I would like to point you to a new film "The Savages" released in December 2007 staring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney. "Eldercare for Dummies" is actually reviewed in a scene in which a support group leader talks to her group members about the book endorsing it as "terrific." Great to see my book on the big screen, but more important, this is a film everyone needs to see -- especially children with elderly parents.

From the first page to the last, this guide offers practical, hands-on tips for navigating the maze of eldercare. As our population ages, more and more people find themselves thrust into the role of caregiver for aging relatives--often parents---usually with little or no background to prepare them for this role.

Eldercare for Dummies is easy-to-understand, engaging and witty, not overly technical or bogged down with research. Targeted directly to readers who face caring for an aging loved one, it guides them through assessing the current needs of the senior, choosing and arranging for appropriate care, ensuring safety, and helping to maintain happiness and quality of life.

I am so thankful I found this book! Being the child of older parents, I did not grow up with grandparents. Now my parents are becoming my grandparents. Dr. Zuckerman's book has helped me communicate and understand my parents with a plethora of easy to find information.

I recently met Rachelle at a healthcare meeting and was fasinated after hearing she had written her book. As an owner of a "free" senior placement service, I was anxious to read it and see how else I could advise my clients on such tough matters as eldercare. The book is with me wherever I go. Over the holidays I found myself counseling my own family members on how to talk to their in-laws when they begin to notice the ever changing physical events in their lives. I've only started, so there is so much more to learn. In the meantime, I never open the book without a highlighter in hand. Many thanks Rachelle!

I made my holiday trip to the bookstore last week. I purchased a copy of Eldercare for Dummies, by Rachelle Zukerman, PhD. The book is packed with light humor and also great tips. I especially liked Chapter 2 with the section on how to help when help is refused.It's great.

Thank you, Valerie, for sharing your expertise with us in this highly recommended book that is both easy to read and to understand.

If you are are an adult child with aging parents, this valuable book is a must to read!

Joanne Harmon(WI)
Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)
Certified in Long Term Care (CLTC)

I highly recommend this book for everyone that loves their parents or grandparents and want to help them stay at home as long as possible. The amount of information in one single source is fantastic. I found the book easy to read and informative, great for anyone who is looking for help.

I found "The Senior Solution" easy to read, filled with practical information that I can use and bring to the attention of the people I serve as a loan officer and insurance producer. Now is the time to think ahead and prepare for your own possible long term care needs. Long Term Care Insurance is the way to ensure your peace of mind and protect the assets you've worked so hard for.

I've recently had the opportunity to read "The Senior Solution" by Valerie Van Booven-Whitsell, RN, BSN, PGCM. This book looks at the issues faced by seniors and their adult children, it covers all aspects of challenges that seniors face and gives clear, concise workable answers to them. This is a book whose cost is a worthwhile investment for seniors and their families as well as the advisors that work in the senior marketplace.

Kenneth R. Clark
Certified Senior Advisor

Having seen four of my family members, including both sets of parents and in-law parents who have needed special care and attention during periods of aging, disability and dying, I had to learn by trial and error. Unfortunately, many times it was by error.

Valerie has clearly and concisely covered a very difficult subject in a very easy to read, relatively short book. She is to be commended for including such areas as VA Home Aid and Attendant Services Grants. I had never heard about them before. She also establishes reverse mortgages as a viable way of handling financial needs for seniors aged 62 and over. At the end of the book is a very comprehensive reference guide to several outstanding websites.

All in all, this book is outstanding....especially as more and more people are aging and joining the "sandwich generation"!

This book was very easy to read and contained a lot of practical tips on a wide variety of subjects. I liked the tips on how to make items yourself, cutting costs on things like hair washing aids and for making your home safe and navigable. The simple illustrations make the instructions easy to follow and the abundance of listed resources for more information and support was a nice bonus.

"...a masterful job of presenting the multiple aspects of caregiving in a format that is both comprehensive and reader-friendly. The important focus on physical aspects of giving care are missing from many other publications in this category."

I am an Illinois legal aid attorney and owner of Southwest Medicals, an online medical supply and equipment business. If you are planning on providing home healthcare for a famiy member, you need this helpful book. The cost saving tips are especially useful. I also recommend the American Medical Association's Guide to Home Caregiving by Angela Perry.

I am the Director of The Waud Patient and Family Resource Center based out of Rush Presbyterian St. Lukes Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. I am a nurse by career choice, and a caregiver by nature. I have provided home care and hospice care to a number of family members. I found this book useful to teach family members how to take care of someone at home. It has clear illustrations, step by step instructions for those tasks caregivers do every day, and a resource listing for those items that help make the job easier. It also has introductions to other areas of care which are very informative. This book empowers people without any healthcare education or experience to understand the mechanics of taking care of another person - no matter where they live. If you have family in a nursing home, this book will help you evaluate the care they receive. Both personally and professionally I would recommend this book to any person with a loved one who needs care.

It is a 'must have' resource and tool for anyone assuming or considering the caregiver role.

If you want to know the truth about the medical system and the enormous number of errors and cover-ups within that system, read this book. Well-researched with many shocking and heart-breaking case studies, the book provides answers as well as showing the problems. Thank goodness someone had the courage to buck the system and break down the Wall of Silence for all of us.

What separates Wall of Silence by Gibson and Singh from other books on this topic is the refreshing and bold truth telling contained within it's human stories of pain, injustice and frustration. Not only did the authors shoulder the risks and courage requisite for listening to and then writing about the human face, consequences and devastation of needless medical error tragedies, but they also ferreted out and exposed the ugly truths, told by medical providers themselves, about how the pervasive greed, secrecy and code of silence in the healthcare industry works to bury medical mistakes through a host of means; including blackballing and burying the careers of the competent and ethical medical providers who dare to tell the truth and who place patients above profits. As a medical provider, I can find no better way to encapsulate the meaning and hope of this treatise than through those words offered by the Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. This book is, as she states, 'A call to arms for families who have had loved ones disabled or die in the pursuit of medical treatment.' And, I can only hope that it could also catalyze a 'Call to Arms' for medical providers who wish to return medicine and healthcare to the patient oriented, compassionate, ethical and hippocratic way of practice.

This is a better book by far than the unfortunately better known INTERNAL BLEEDING. It is certainly more honest. It has the clear advantage of being written by people who know and understand the subject ,and unlike Internal Bleeding, it does not suffer the disadvantage of having been written by physicians who, purposfully or otherwise, seem very intent in obscuring the responsibility for medical mistakes.

The authors of Wall of Silence have written an honest and valuable book deciding (to the public's advantage) to let the chips fall where they may. A MUST READ!!

This book is a well researched, well written must read for all Americans. The authors share their personal story as well as the stories of others who have suffered at the hands of a careless physician. While the stories will break your heart, they may also save your life, or the life of someone you love. While none of us want to believe that those we trust with our bodies and our lives would neglect a sacred trust, the fact is it is happening all too often. This book delivers the message without hype, fear or hysteria. Read it, share it and take it with you.

If even one person dies, that is one too many. But it is not just one, not even 10 or 100 patients who are maimed and dying from health care mistakes. As Gibson and Singh reveal, the numbers are much much higher than that. And anyone of them could be you or your loved ones. Medical errors do not discriminate. Everyone is vulnerable even doctors themselves as patients.

Yes, to error is human but that really doesn't appear to be the problem here. A great deal of the problem appears to be that a percentage of health care providers make multiple errors because no one stops them. According to Grayson and Singh many nurses do not recommend their place of employment to their family and friends.

When people are not held accountable for their actions and the consequences of those actions everyone is endangered. Taking or being forced to take personal responsiblity for your actions and their consequences plays a large part in how many mistakes you make.

I would think it would be every irresponsible health care provider's nightmare to literally have to personally experience everything that they inflict on their patients.

Since health care providers are safe from the magic wishing wand, the next best thing is to guard against such mistakes and be public with the information. It is a matter of ethics. When you are ten and don't want to "rat out" a buddy it is rarely life or death. But health care providers are not ten anymore and it is their ethical obligation to put the safety their patients or potential patients first. Please read this book and tell others about it. All of our lives depend on it.

Maine's only personal assistant, elder care and concierge company is Simply Imperial. Simply Imperial serves Kennebunk Maine and Kennebunkport Maine customers. Caregivers and Personal assistants and how to find them is explained beautifully in this book and is highly reccomended.

This book helped me understand that I'm the one in charge. The caregivers work for me and I see now that I need to take more control of the situations. It's a great resource for all aspects of people management.

This book is a treasure of facts and helps for any family member, friend, or professional seeking caregiver/personal assistant care for another, or for an individual seeking such care for him/herself. The book is reader friendly and proceeds in logical steps. The information is practical and useable. Compassion for and insight into the feelings of the care receiver are a part of the writing and this is invaluable to all as they move through the process of finding caregiver/personal assistants. The author "thought of everything" and addresses every question one could have because he has been in the situation of finding care for himself and knows what does and does not work. His expertise and information will be a welcome and comprehensive guide to anyone who needs to find, hire and manage caregiver or personal assistant help.

As indicated by the title, this book gives you all the information you need to "Find, Hire and Manage the People Who Help You (or your Loved One!). The author speaks from profound personal experience of his more than 30 years of living as a high level quadriplegic. As one who has know Mr. DeGraff since early in that experience, I have followed him as he has gone through rehabilitation, college, graduate school and beyond to where he is today and can readily vouch for his abilities. No detail has been left out of this remarkable publication.

Finally, DeGraff has a new book! He is THE authority on personal care assistance, and I trust his experience, wisdom and advice. We have waited for this new edition for several years, and we find it chocked full of practical how-to's. This is a must for families seeking advice on managing care at home, for students and for health care workers. This book should be required reading for legislators and public policy advocates because this provides practical, up-to-date, relevant information for real-life settings; and it reminds us that legislation must support independent living and home care. With the graying of America, more and more people are going to realize the value of living at home with effectively managed personal care. Agency care often does not work, and it is not aimed at promoting the care recipients' need for independence, respect and wholesomeness. Managing care at home provides sensible and healthy options -- and DeGraff's expertise and advice shows how to go about it. This is learning from the best! Margaret A. Short, Ph.D.