A Caregiver's Survival Guide: How to Stay Healthy When Your Loved One is Sick

When a family health crisis hits, the focus shifts to that particular person. Daily trips to the hospital or detailed medical care becomes the priority. Kay Marshall Strom has written A CAREGIVER'S SURVIVAL GUIDE, HOW TO STAY HEALTH WHEN YOUR LOVED ONE IS SICK (InterVarsity Press).

Kay knows first hand the struggles of such a situation. Over a period of ten years, her husband, Larry, went from a business manager at a major corporation to severe dementia and the progressive loss of the use of his arms and legs. For the last four years of his life, he was in a nursing home because he was too dangerous for Kay to care for at home.

In a crisis, the caregiver is rarely addressed and this book meets a special need. As Kay says, "Struggling blindly wears out the human spirit. Knowing what to expect, and when and where to go for help, makes the journey bearable. Accepting God as the first and primary "resource" brings blessing out of disaster."

This book helps caregivers cope with the emotional roller coaster, fitting into their new role, discovering the balance between personal care and care for the loved one, handling life with limited resources and letting go. The appendices for the book include a nursing home checklist and additional resources. As Joni Eareckson Tada writes in the foreword for the book, "Kay has experienced a lifetime of lessons and has catalogued invaluable insights to pass along to other caregivers."

The book is a careful mixture of personal-been-there experience, practical checklist type advice as well as a dependence on God to meet our needs.

This book has really great encouragement as well as solid, practical help for the caregiver. I appreciate that the author addresses the kind of "under the surface" questions and fears that caregivers struggle with, and that she does more than name them; she gives answers for dealing with them.

I hope that the publisher, however, will take note of this: Most all of the audience for this book is over 40; a majority over 50. Why, then, is the type so small and blurry?! In some places, it looks like it was printed by an inkjet that's a little out of alignment. PLEASE -reprint this book with larger, clearer type!

Buy A Caregiver's Survival Guide: How to Stay Healthy When Your Loved One is Sick Now

I am full-time caregiver to my mother who suffers from multiple system atrophy. She had rapidly declined just in the past year, but no one knows how long she will hang on. When I first left my job to take care of her, I bought Ms. Strom's book but, after skimming through it, thought it would be the same old, same old. Eight months later, I picked it up again and couldn't put it down. It validated everything I'd been feeling (guilt, fear...) but, more importantly, it helped me understand better what my mom is going through. Ms. Strom's life with her husband as he grew sicker is heart wrenching and terrifying. But she proved that it can be done, done well, and with great love. And yes, it brought me to tears.

Read Best Reviews of A Caregiver's Survival Guide: How to Stay Healthy When Your Loved One is Sick Here

Useful information on how to be physically and mentally healthy when facing one of the toughest obstacles of your life. A good reference book. Practical information.

Want A Caregiver's Survival Guide: How to Stay Healthy When Your Loved One is Sick Discount?

I was sad that this book ended. I truly needed and read this book day by day. The scripture references served to refresh and remind. I so miss that in other caregiving books. I appreciated Kay sharing her story. Be assured you have helped so many more of us!

Save 10% Off