| The American Red Cross answers your “How To” questions. |
For the last few days I’ve been reading through Family Caregiving, a new publication from the American Red Cross. I won’t mince words: it’s the best source of practical caregiving advice and information that I’ve ever seen, and it costs less than $25. Topics include home safety, caregiving skills, body mechanics, personal care, healthy eating, dementia, legal and financial issues, caring for the caregiver and caregiving resources.
The information is clearly organized so that it’s easy to find what you need, and the book itself is designed for both ease of use and durability.
- The 6½” x 8½” format makes the book easy to hold in your hand. The typeface is easy to read, and the layout makes good use of boldface and bullet points.
- The spiral binding means the book will stay open to the page you want when you have to lay it down. And you will have to lay it down because so many caregiving tasks require both of your hands.
- The laminated cover (which also covers the spiral binding!) means that the book will survive messes and spills and won’t get tangled in clothing, bedding, towels or hair.
- The DVD that accompanies the book contains an audio-visual version of most of the contents of the book, not just a talking head reading the book.
Both the book and the DVD contain the “nitty gritty” information about lifting, transferring, personal hygiene and toileting that many new caregivers may hesitate to ask about. Easy access to this information, however, makes you more skillful and more confident.
Order the book online by clicking on the book title or cover image above or contact your local American Red Cross office for more information. I think you really owe it to yourself to have this book in your home caregiving library.
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