These books can be borrowed through campus mail, brochures are free by request.
Contact us at cajacobs@vt.edu or 231-3213 for more information.
These materials are for VT employees and students only.
1. And Thou Shalt Honor: The Caregiver's Companion, edited by Beth Witrogen McLeod
Several researchers and advocates provide advice on many aspects of care giving including reaching out to a loved one in need of help, managing day-to-day caregiving tasks, accessing resources, navigating the legal and financial maze, assembling a caregiver support network, understanding the changing family dynamic, and surviving and thriving in the caregiver role. It also comes with action plans and checklists for key care giving issues and a directory of care giving resources. (445 pages)
2. The Complete Elder Care Planner: Where to Start, Questions to Ask, and How to Find Help, by Joy Loverde
Based on the principles of effective planning, and the concept of partnering with elderly family members, this book is extremely user friendly. It is efficiently written and offers specific plans and checklists on topics from legal matters, to transportation, to quality of life issues. We will include copies of all the checklists and planning sheets for your use. (272 pages)
3. Dealing Creatively With Death: A Manual of Death Education and Simple Burial, by Ernest Morgan
A small, simply and sensitively written encyclopedia of death-related problems including social, emotional, philosophical, and practical that draws substantially on direct experience.
5. Eldercare 911: The Caregiver's Complete Handbook for Making Decisions - by Beerman and Rappaport-Musson.
6. Fourteen Friends' Guide to Eldercaring: Practical Advice, Inspiration, Shared Experiences, Space for Your Thoughts, by The Fourteen Friends
This is a practical, people-oriented sourcebook for adults who find themselves taking care of their parents. It covers topics like understanding, encouragement, sharing, frustration, and caring for the caregiver. The authors provide helpful hints and tips, warm photographs, and inspirational quotations. (210 pages)
7. The Graying of America: An Encyclopedia of Aging, Health, Mind and Behavior, by Donald H. Kausler and Barry C. Kausler
This guidebook provides explanations for over 300 of the most important terms related to the aging process. It is intended for no professionals, and the information is factual, informative and up to date. It deals with matters as diverse as adjusting to retirement, grandparenting, Alzheimer's Disease, sleep disorders and stress. (356 pages)
8. Growing Wiser: The Older Person's Guide to Mental Wellness, by Donald W. Kemper, Molly Mettler, Jim Giuffre, and Betty Matzek
Created for older people who continue to expand and exercise their mental vitality. This book is intended to help the older person expand his or her memory, extend mental alertness, strengthen her ability to accept loss, and take action to assure home environment and independence will be protected. (122 pages)
9. Home Planning for Your Later Years, by William Wasch
Discusses what to expect in health and functional changes as people age, and how these are likely to affect lifestyles. Explores modifications in home design, as well as alternative living situations. Gives tips on assessment in terms of individual needs. Includes many clear, color photographs and a number of worksheets and checklists. Copies of these will be provided for your use. (181 pages)
11. How to Care for Aging Parents, by Virginia Morris
This book examines the emotional and practical needs of the cared-for, as well as the caregiver. It offers practical suggestions for day to day living, evaluating a nursing home, planning for the end of life and much more. Throughout the book, short scenarios written by real people bring concepts home in a very human way. (460 pages)
12. Mama Can't Remember Anymore: Care Management of Aging Parents and Loved Ones, by Nancy Wexler, MA, MFCC
Many case histories are interspersed among the advice and information in this guide for families. Topics covered range from geriatric care management, to insurance, to dementia, to legal issues. (375 pages)
13. On Your Own Terms: The Seniors' Guide to an Independent Life, by Linda D. Cirino
This practical book offers strategies that seniors can use to make their lives more convenient, safe and comfortable. It includes lists of helpful products for cooking, personal hygiene, exercise, recreation, and much more. (376 pages)
14. Staying Well, by Horace B. Deets
15. Taking Charge: How to Master the Eight Most Common Fears of Long-Term Illness, by Irene Pollin, M.S.W. with Susan K. Golant, M.A.
This book identifies and discusses how to overcome eight fears associated with long-term illness including fear of loss of control, loss of self-image, dependency, stigma, abandonment, expressing anger, isolation, and death. (262 pages)
Click here for related materials available though Virginia Tech's Newman Library.
1. About Care giving
Discusses the roles and responsibilities of a caregiver. Includes information on how to prepare a patient's home, providing physical care, and helping a patient to maintain his or her mental health. (15 pages)
2. Coping and Caring: Living With Alzheimer's Disease
Dispels the myths, calms the fears, and increases the understanding of Alzheimer's Disease. (29 pages)
3. Domestic Mistreatment of the Elderly: Towards Prevention
Examines what we know about mistreatment of the elderly by their families or by persons within their households. It also explores what we can do about it , both in terms of intervention and the long-range solution- prevention by the individual, the family, and the community. (39 pages)
4. Final Details: A Guide for Survivors When Death Occurs
Helps survivors prepare for and handle the many details which must be attended to when death occurs. (3 pages)
5. Funeral Consumers Alliance of the Virginia Blue Ridge www.funerals.org/fcavbr/ or fcavbr@bev.net
Many brochures are available on how to plan for a funeral including the many available options.
6. Healthy Questions: How to Talk to and Select Physicians, Pharmacists, Dentists, and Vision Specialists
Gives advice on choosing health care professionals including what questions should be asked. (11 pages)
7. Home Caregiver's Guide: Articles for Adult Daily Living, by Jeffrey L. Crabtree and Diane Crabtree
Supplies many reproducible articles give practical techniques and suggestions to informal caregivers who are caring for individuals who may be frail or chronically disables but can participate to some extent in their own care. Includes information on mobility, hygiene, dressing, eating, health and home management activities, meals, etc.
8. How Does Your Nutrition Measure Up?
Gives tips on evaluating and maintaining good nutrition for elderly persons. (18 pages)
9. How to Balance Work and Family
Written for caregivers of young, as well as elderly, family members, this publication offers strategies for organization, sharing responsibilities, obtaining outside help and prioritizing, which can help family life run more smoothly. (15 pages)
10. Mental Health in the Later Years
Reviews the changes in lifestyle to which a senior may have to adjust, and offers suggestions for living life to the fullest. Full of practical ideas. (15 pages)
11. Miles Away and Still Caring: A Guide for Long-Distance Caregivers
Assists those who are responsible for coordinating and monitoring from a distance the care of an aging relative. It helps to identify problem areas and possible resources for support. It also provides information about creating a network of assistance and contains suggestions for planning visits to make them most effective. (17 pages)
12. On Being Alone: Guide for Widowed Persons
Widowers share their experiences to help others find their own path through the grief. (14 pages)
13. A Practical Guide for the Alzheimer Caregiver
Discusses the stages of Alzheimer's Disease, gives guidelines for communicating with the impaired person, and elaborates on the many symptoms associated with this disease. (43 pages)
14. Staying Well: Health Promotion Programs for Older Persons
Gives ideas for health promotion programs for older persons to help maintain and take charge of their health.
15. Stress and the Older Person
Examines possible causes and symptoms, and offers management techniques. Useful for seniors and for those who care for them. (15 pages)
16. Taking Care of Your Elderly Relatives
Reader friendly information on what to expect, how to personalize care, challenges finding outside support, and more. (15 pages)
North Coast Medical Products and Sammons Preston are mail order companies which offer useful aids to daily living for those with physical limitations. They include assistive devices for use in the kitchen, bathroom, dressing, and communication.