This modern guide by an experienced professional clarifies caregiving by putting an emphasis on self-care and elder autonomy.

The necessity for long-term care of a loved one, whether they’ve been incapacitated by chronic illness, disabled by an injury, or simply in need of assistance completing daily tasks, can come without warning. The 65 million Americans who work as nonprofessional caregivers often balance other family and work responsibilities at the same time, which leaves them little room for taking proper care of themselves. In this thorough and easy-to-read guide, Green, a registered nurse with more than 30 years of healthcare experience, walks readers through every aspect of caregiving, from avoiding burnout to navigating the sometimes-opaque American healthcare system. She divides her book into five sections whose subjects range from identifying common medical conditions to organizing a “Caregiver Action Plan.” Her sections on Covid-19, which also addresses the potential long-term effects of the illness, are timely additions that provide specific information about the novel coronavirus’s impact on seniors. Each section presents complex information is visual form via tables and charts, which will aid comprehension. For readers seeking to track variable elements of a caretaking plan, such as medications, Green helpfully includes worksheets to fill out with patient-specific information. The author also doesn’t shy away from the more difficult aspects of caretaking, such as planning for hospice care or funeral services, and she presents practical advice for dealing with the emotional effects of illness and loss. Green maintains a warm tone throughout, interspersing literary quotes and personal anecdotes to introduce some levity and to remind caregivers that they’re not alone in their experiences.

A comprehensive and authoritative care manual that will interest professionals and laypeople alike.

A wide-ranging guide that offers tips and tools for caregivers, whether their patient is a client or a loved one.

Although Green differentiates between the roles of family caregivers and frontline caregivers, much of her advice applies in either capacity. The manual begins by introducing seven major tenets to practice as a long-term caregiver: self-care, empathy, empowerment, kindness, patience, communication awareness, and active listening. Green breaks each one down into subsections that rarely run longer than a paragraph or two; these short paragraphs are densely packed, however, and often include bullet points or small charts for maximum visual impact. The book’s second part consists of what might be considered the most difficult aspects of caregiving (appropriately titled “The Things No One Tells You”), including ways to handle patients who may be suffering from panic attacks, depression, or senses of isolation, guilt, or regret. The third part moves on to a personal account of Green’s own grief and coping mechanisms after her father died, as well as healthy ways to approach a sense of loss and fear. All chapters are interspersed with stories of interactions between caregivers and patients that help illustrate the points at hand, and they often provide practice scripts, complete with sample dialogue, showing how to work through situations that may be particularly complicated. Each chapter concludes with a handful of questions and prompts meant to get readers thinking more deeply about Green’s lessons, such as “Write one to three positive self-talk statements that you can refer to when you are distressed.”

Green largely keeps her advice simple, clinical, and easy to understand; as such, those beginning their caregiving journeys will feel just at home with this manual as those who’ve been doing it for years. That said, sometimes this results in information that feels obvious, such as advice on ways to show kindness: “Kindness is demonstrated when you display a genuine interest in the feelings and well-being of your loved one or client. You can practice kindness by being friendly, generous, and considerate.” At other times, though, Green offers insight into areas that most readers won’t have considered, such as the downside of having an overabundance of patience when asking for help: “You may feel so frustrated with your lack of control or the dependence that you have on another person that you simply say, ‘Forget it!’ and put the task aside.” The author smartly uses an array of informational tools to help readers visualize her advice, including color coding patience levels for easy reference: bright red for feelings of impatience and anger; orange for when patience is “being tested”; yellow to show room for improvement; green for healthy strategies to help maintain patience; and dark red for overabundant patience. Green’s unfussy language and gentle encouragement makes this a comforting read—not in an overly sentimental way, but in a manner that will have readers feeling more prepared to take on their assignments.

A refreshingly simple manual that offers comfort to its audience in the form of actionable, workable steps.