Coping with
Memory Problems
by Linda Clare and Barbara Wilson
A practical guide for people with memory impairments, their relatives, friends,
and carers.
This booklet can be bought from The Encephalitis Society via our
Online Shop
The Complete Carer’s Guide
by Bridget McCall
Advice and support for all who look after a family member, partner or friend
Being a carer can be rewarding, but it is often stressful and exhausting: it involves
a range of tasks, such as providing personal care, managing medication and ensuring
that the needs of the person being cared for are met. This practical, much-needed
guide discusses how to ensure that you have a life of your own while caring, how
to make informed decisions and, most importantly, how to access the support and
help you need. The topics covered include:
- understanding what health professionals and social services may offer
- financial and employment issues
- emotional, psychological and spiritual impact
- finding respite care
- caring for children
- caring at a distance
- young carers
- when the caring stops
- further sources of information and advice
Many carers struggle on, not really aware of how much help is available. Bridget
McCall says there’s no need to go it alone, and shows ways to ease the burden.
The Complete Carer’s Guide was published by Sheldon Press on 23/7/07 and costs
£7.99
Complementary Healthcare: a guide for patients
Published by the Prince of Wales Foundation for Integrated Health
Reviewed by Ava Easton, Encephalitis Society Development Manager
This is a super, compact book provides people with plenty of information in order
for them to make informed decisions when considering complementary or alternative
healthcare. For example the book covers a range of therapies such as Craniosacral
therapy, Homeopathy, Reflexology, Reiki, Yoga, and many many more.
There is a useful general information section which deals with lots of questions
people should consider before suing alternative therapies and which answer’s
many common questions. Section 2 looks at each therapy in turn and considers things
such as what will happen, precautions, cost, finding a practitioner, etc. The final
section considers other general information and references. It’s a good little
book for anyone thinking of pursuing complementary healthcare – it’ll
certainly stay on my bookshelf!
www.fih.org.uk
ISBN: 053945383 £5.99
The Selfish Pig's Guide to Caring
by Hugh Marriott
Although carers are, by definition, anything other than selfish pigs, they are liable
to feelings of guilt, probably brought on by fatigue and isolation. Hugh Marriott
had to find out the hard way about things he would have liked to have known at the
start of his caring responsibility but no one told him. So, after many years caring
for his wife, he has written the book for them based on his own experiences of caring.
All those things he’d have liked to know but was afraid to ask.
His aim is to bring into the open everything that goes on behind closed doors. And
he does. The book airs topics such as sex, thoughts of murder, coping with incontinence
and dealing with the responses of friends and officials who fail to understand.
The selfish Pig’s Guide to Caring is a frank and informative book, written
in a relaxed and easy to read style.
Published by Polperro Heritage Press, ISBN0954423313, the book costs £9.95
A Carer and Family Guide
– Coping with Aquired Brain Injury
This is a new publication from Headway Ireland aimed principally at family members
or carers of someone with an Acquired Brain Injury, following their discharge from
hospital or rehabilitation treatment. It contains an overview of rehabilitation
options and strategies on how to cope with various consequences of an Acquired Brain
Injury.
The booklet was compiled by Headway Ireland staff with the help and advice of a
panel of professionals and carers. Chapter headings include “Understanding”,
“Coping with the Consequences”, “The impact on you: understanding
your feelings”, “The impact on you family”, “Taking care
of yourself”.
This is an excellent booklet for carers anywhere and can be purchased direct from
Headway Ireland price €11 . The booklet can also be downloaded as a.pdf file
from Headway Ireland’s web site
www.headwayireland.ie
Last modified: 3 October 2008