The Emotional Survival Guide for Caregivers: Looking After Yourself and Your Family While Helping an Aging Parent

IaEURO (TM)ve known Barry Jacobs for many years, but not until I read the prologue to this book did I realize that as a child he had been part of a caregiving family. I should have known, though--only someone who has 'walked in the shoes' could have written such a compassionate and simultaneously helpful book. It reads like a novel but also provides really good, straightforward, worthwhile advice. This is a 'must read' for every family caregiver. --Suzanne Mintz, President and Cofounder, National Family Caregivers Association

Dr. Jacobs is a master storyteller who brings the realities of caring for an aging parent out of the shadows and into the light. If you find yourself in a caregiving role and want to protect and even enhance your family relationships, while also taking care of yourself, this book is a 'must read.' From sex to spirituality, Dr Jacobs addresses our most pressing questions about the inevitable stresses and strains of caregiving. --Susan H. McDaniel, PhD, Dr. Laurie Sands Distinguished Professor of Families and Health, and Director, Institute for the Family, University of Rochester Medical Center

This is a beautifully written, invaluable, practical guide for families facing serious illness or disability. This unique and truly masterful book combines the wisdom of Dr. Jacobs's extensive professional expertise with his moving personal story of parental illness and loss. Following one familyaEURO (TM)s journey with illness, the book addresses all the tough issues while providing a powerful model for resilience and the personal rewards that can come with caregiving. This superb book is a 'must' for family caregivers and healthcare professionals. I will strongly recommend it to my patients and their families. --John S. Rolland, MD, Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago and Co-Director of the Chicago Center for Family Health

Whether you are an experienced or new family caregiver, you will recognize your dilemmas and challenges--and find valuable advice--in this book. Dr. Jacobs combines the skills of an engaging storyteller and a compassionate family therapist as he accompanies readers through the main journey and the byways of caring for an ill or disabled parent. --Carol Levine, Director, Families and Health Care Project, United Hospital Fund

Barry Jacobs builds on 20 years of clinical experience to provide a wise and informative look at family caregiving. This is not just another 'how-to' book, but explores the emotional core of the caregiving experience....Each chapter also contains thoughtful and practical responses to the questions that caregivers frequently raise. There is much that caregivers and the professionals who work with them can learn from this book. --Steven H. Zarit, PhD, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University

When you feel like you just can't go on as a caregiver, Dr. Jacobs helps us avoid much of the heartache and frustration that can make caring for a loved one such a overwhelming experience. I wish I'd read it while caring for my aging parents, both with Alzheimer's--it would have helped me feel less alone. --Jacqueline Marcell, author, Elder Rage, host, Coping With Caregiving radio show

This book makes it clear that whatever you're going through, you are not alone. It offers a ray of hope for those going through one of life's most trying experiences. I recommend this valuable book to anyone involved in caring for an aging or ailing parent. --Deborah Popely, family caregiver and former hospice professional

This book has been extremely helpful as a required text in the master's-level family therapy course I am currently teaching. Dr. Jacobs helps the reader understand the impact of caregiving on family dynamics, offering sound, practical advice that is as useful for students and practitioners as it is for family caregivers themselves. --Mia Solomon, PhD, Director, Behavioral Sciences, Bryn Mawr Family Practice Residency Program