You grew up with them taking care of you. Now as an adult, you may find that you’re looking after your senior parents.
It’s normal to morph into new roles when parents age. Your parent—or parents—might need help with daily tasks like chores and yard work, or assistance managing medication and transportation.
Becoming a caregiver for your parents can lead to questions and uncertainties about how to navigate this new normal. A study in the American Journal of Nursing found that caregiving often results in chronic stress and can lead to impaired physical and psychological health in caregivers. It may help to hear stories and gain insights from caregiving experts and others who can relate to your struggle. Caregiver books may provide that assistance.
Check out the following books for caregivers if you’re looking for guidance and inspiration. These best books for caregivers may help you achieve the balance you’re after.
For more tips on caring for aging parents, bookmark the Senior Lifestyle blog.
12 Great Adult Caregiver Support Books
1. “The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementias and Memory Loss,” by Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rabins
Authors Nancy L. Mace, MA, and Peter V. Rabins, MD, MPH, explain what causes dementia, how to manage the early stages and how to find appropriate living care options for those with dementia. It includes guidance on how to get outside help and how to address various financial and legal issues.
2. “A Bittersweet Season: Caring for Our Aging Parents – and Ourselves,” by Jane Gross
Elderly care expert and journalist Jane Gross writes about her experiences as caretaker for her 85-year-old mother. She details how to face challenges when relocating a parent, how to deal with Medicare and Medicaid, and how to adapt in a new role as a caretaker.
3. “Caring for Your Parents: The Complete Family Guide,” by Hugh Delehanty and Elinor Ginzler
This guide from AARP provides recommendations on topics including how to locate quality health care, how to organize caregiving from afar and how to deal with Medicare. This caregiver book includes resources like consumer action groups and help lines to navigate elderly caregiving.
4. “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Family Caregivers – 101 Stories of Love, Sacrifice and Bonding,” by Joan Lunden and Amy Newmark
This book is a collection of stories from 101 authors, including celebrities like television personality Leeza Gibbons, who have cared for family members at homes or in outside facilities. Topics covered include being part of the “sandwich generation” and caring for both children and adult parents, caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s disease and caring for a senior as a young adult.
5. “The Complete Eldercare Planner: Where to Start, Which Questions to Ask and How to Find Help,” by Joy Loverde
This practical guide includes checklists, worksheets and action plans for tasks like creating a long-term care plan and managing the financial aspects of adult caregiving. It also includes tips for communication, navigating senior living arrangements and arranging care from afar.
6. “The Conscious Caregiver: A Mindful Approach to Caring for Your Loved One Without Losing Yourself,” by Linda Abbit
Author Linda Abbit, a caregiving professional, shares advice for taking care of older parents while avoiding burnout and exhaustion. The book includes tips on how to balance caregiving for a loved one with staying financially secure and maintaining mental health.
7. “Coping with Your Difficult Older Parent: A Guide for Stressed-Out Children,” by Grace Lebow and Barbara Kane
This book provides communication tips for dealing with challenging parents and contentious behaviors. It provides guidance for how to deal with aging parents who exhibit critical, negative or hostile behavior and how to deal with issues that may impair an aging parent’s safety, like driving. The book includes sample dialogues addressing various difficult scenarios.
8. “How to Care for Aging Parents: A One-Stop Resource for All Your Medical, Financial, Housing and Emotional Issues,” by Virginia Morris
This book about aging parents is a comprehensive look at common issues, including how to know when to intervene, how to choose a long-term care option and how to pay for long-term care. It also includes tips for “caring for the caregiver” and caregiving from a distance.
9. “How to Say It to Seniors: Closing the Communication Gap with Our Elders,” by David Solie
This book by geriatric psychology expert David Solie provides tips to caregivers for how to communicate with the elderly, who have unique goals including the desire for control in their daily lives and for their legacy.
10. “Passages in Caregiving: Turning Chaos into Confidence,” by Gail Sheehy
Author Gail Sheehy outlines nine steps for family caregiving, drawn from experiences in her own life as a caregiver. She gives examples of various situations adult caregivers face and offers strategies to cope.
11. “When Caregiving Calls: Guidance as You Care for a Parent, Spouse or Aging Relative,” by Aaron Blight
Author Aaron Blight draws on experience as a family caregiver, owner of a home care company and researcher and lecturer to provide caregivers with advice on how to cope with caregiving challenges. Blight explains how caregiving shapes family relationships and how caregiving affects those who are being cared for and those who are providing care.
12. “When the Time Comes: Families with Aging Parents Share Their Struggles and Solutions,” by Paula Span
Journalist Paula Span collects stories of families who have had to deal with caring for elderly family members. Stories cover emotional challenges, navigating elder care options and how to find practical solutions that work for whole families.
Get Help for Senior Care
As those you cherish get older, you may have questions about how to provide the best care for your parents or loved ones. Senior Lifestyle is here to help. Check out our blog for articles on a variety of topics related to seniors.