The Caregiver Revolution starts here…and now!
For years, especially in western culture, taking care of the elderly, the infirm and the dying has been viewed in a negative light. Terms like caregiver burnout, burden and strain have dominated the discussion. But now that has changed with Caregiver Revolution, a book that is dedicated to helping you get rid of the stress and transform caregiving into a positive, life affirming experience.
This little book is about personal growth, wisdom and sharing. It’s based on the premise that you can grow and gain wisdom by helping others at the end of their lives:
Caregiver Revolution infuses caring for others with enthusiasm and hope. The book provides simple tools and techniques for organizing the home environment, creating a “care circle,” reducing stress, and practicing “here and now” mindfulness in the midst of the hectic caregiving environment. Straightforward and practical methods are provided for dealing with crisis situations including a section on how anyone can be gracefully present with someone who is dying. With a light and accessible tone, Caregiver Revolution’s practical information is supported by real-life anecdotes and whimsical illustrations.
Caregiver Revolution should be on every professional care provider’s shelf. It is packed with accessible information about healing techniques and how to stay “present” with patients. The perspective of this book is that the end of life is a valuable time of spiritual growth. The foundation of it is that caregiving is valuable, rewarding work.
From the Book:
This book is about personal growth, wisdom, and sharing. It’s based on the premise that you can grow and gain wisdom by helping others at the end of their lives. And, then you can share this wisdom with those who are fortunate enough to be with you at the end of your life.
Written for all levels of caregivers, this book is well suited for those who want to take their caregiving work to the next level. The first 3 chapters present information and exercises helpful to everyone. The last chapters continue with advanced techniques which reveal caregiving in a new light, as a tool which in itself can help caregivers deepen their own spiritual practices.
Program directors, supervisors and workshop presenters should feel free to use this material in their clinical in-services. It is practical and conducive to group presentation. Please contact us with any questions. We are happy to share this material.
We hope for a great deal…not the least of which is to revolutionize caregiving in the hearts and minds of the dedicated care providers who are doing this valuable work on a daily basis.
Table of contents
- Introduction – Help Yourself by Helping Others
- Step 1 – Take Care of the Basics
- Step 2 – Manage your Stress
- Step 3 – Strengthen your Caregiver Presence Forty Activities to Help you be Present
- Step 4 – Help Those in Crisis and Transition
- Step 5 – Provide Spiritual Care and Support Exercises to Help Another Prepare for Death
- Appendices
Author Bio:
Grant Abrams is a physical therapist who has worked in hospital, home care, and nursing home facilities for more than 20 years. He has led and co-led workshops on caregiver stress reduction, life story telling, death and dying, tai chi, and yoga. He got interested in the holistic death and dying movement in the 1990′s and started a newsletter, The Great Adventure, which led to creation of the website, www.t-g-a.org. He lives in New Paltz, New York.
Patricia Elizabeth is a midwife and a terminal midwife. She has given workshops in the field of end-of-life care and death and dying for more than 30 years. She is a cancer survivor of 5 years. She lives in Grass Valley, California.
Caregiver Revolution: 5 Easy Steps to Enlightened Caregiving
- Paperback: 180 pages, May 2011
- Publisher: Gateways Books & Tapes, Nevada City, CA
- Language: English
- ISBN: 978-0-89556-148-0
- List Price: $19.95
- Website: http://www.thecaregiverwebsite.com
“Take your time with this book. It is written from the heart. It reaches beyond the clinical advice of most texts and speaks to the soul. We should all listen.”
Laura Mulvihill, MS. Gerontologist
How to Make the Revolution Happen
You can benefit from caregiving if you’re able to: accept the reality of your present caregiving situation, realize the importance of the work that you’re doing, and make efforts to manage your caregiver stress. Then you apply a few simple tools and techniques of mindfulness It’s that simple. That’s our premise…and our promise.
The methodology is simple. We help you to get organized, we give you the tools to work with stress, and then we help you to strengthen your caregiver attention. With this attention you can help others in transition because you can stay focused on the needs of the present moment during a crisis.
Does this make sense to you? We hope so. We hope that you’ll join us on a wonderful journey which leads to places that only you can imagine for yourself.
A quick clarification is in order. In our title, the word ‘enlightened’ means ‘well informed’ or ‘free from prejudice or superstition.’ We do not presume that you’ll get any wondrous spiritual illumination from this book. We’ll teach you a few tricks of the trade. We want you to get down to the brass tacks, but with intention and a sense of humor. Knit-browed seriousness is not what we’re after here.
The 5 Steps to Better Caregiving
This book will give you tools to help you make the most of your caregiving work and improve your skills. We have developed these techniques in workshops and while working ‘in the field’ over the past 20 years. These techniques will help you to develop your inherent abilities to “be in the present moment” and grow as a care provider.
Step by step you’ll learn how to:
- Get organized and take care of the basics
- Manage the stress associated with caregiving
- Strengthen your caregiver presence
- Help another through crisis or transition
- Provide support for someone who is dying
This may seem very ambitious to you, but it is our sincere hope in writing this book that you become more confident in helping those in crisis, dealing with your own end of life issues and helping others at the time of death.
The tools and techniques given in this book were chosen because they are time honored and effective. No religious affiliation, creed, doctrine or belief is implied or necessary. Our view of spirituality is that the expression of God, (the creator, Allah, Yahweh, the highest power…what ever you want to call it) is in the details. In the beginning we advise that you stay very detail oriented. In any situation you can intensify your focus on the specifics of that situation and that will be a window to a higher spiritual energy entering your work.
For more information please contact Grant Abrams at hospiceweb@gmail.com
