The Gift of Caring: Saving Our Parents from the Perils of Modern Healthcare [Hardcover]

. .. .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.This is a remarkable book. The story of Marcy Houles familys 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. Houles 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. Eckstroms chapters are very helpfulbrief, 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.Houles 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.comInformative, 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.With the growth of the elderly population, particularly those over eighty-five years of age, there is a tremendous need for resourcesl#}