When My Mother No Longer Knew My Name A Son's

by Goldstein, Stephen L.

• ISBN13: 9781555717018
• ISBN10: 1555717012
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-02-01
• Publisher: Grid Press

Summary

"When My Mother No Longer Knew My Name: A Son's 'Course' in 'Rational' Caregiving should be the first book families read to prepare themselves for caring for aging relatives. It's a one-man support group, written like a friend who's "been-there-done-that," talking anecdotally, but authoritatively, to a friend who needs help. It is raw and gritty, as well as funny and inspiring--offering hope that one can overcome a mountain of seemingly insurmountable challenges, for which they likely feel devastatingly unprepared.Each brief, compelling, highly readable chapter tells how a son learned "on-the-job" to deal with different situations all caregivers face as his caregiving role evolved from nominal to 24/7. The book is packed with down-to-earth practical advice and tips to make caregiving manageable-even joyful. There's even a unique self-assessment guide so caregivers and potential caregivers can benchmark and enhance their ability to manage the often lonely, challenging, unpredictable, and overwhelming roles they may assume.

Author Biography

Stephen L. Goldstein is the author of several books, including the novel Atlas Drugged: Ayn Rand Be Damned!, as well as an op-ed columnist and radio and TV personality. He lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and may be reached at [e-mail].

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. vii
Determining Your "Caregiving Readiness": Pre-Assessment	p. 1
Getting Us Both Psyched for My Mother's Moving In	p. 11
Converging of the Twain	p. 19
Passing a Crash Course in Unconditional Love	p. 25
Discovering the Wisdom of Asking, "So What?"	p. 29
Always Folding the Napkin	p. 35
Creating Miracles	p. 41
Keeping My Mother From Choking to Death	p. 49
Becoming a Nobody Without a Name	p. 55
Scrambling Fictitious Eggs	p. 61
Always Speaking to the Person Who's Still There	p. 67
Trying to Get Through to the Person Who Isn't "There"	p. 71
Demanding My Mother's Due-and Getting It	p. 77
Changing My Mother's Diaper	p. 83
Getting Used to Finding a Sandwich in the Clothes Dryer	p. 87
Rejecting Rejection	p. 93
Caregiving for Mother's Soul	p. 99
Dying by Design	p. 105
Planning for "Continuity of Care"-Or Not!	p. 113
Gaining My Freedom by Giving It Up	p. 119
Taming My Guilty Imagination	p. 125
Reversing Role-Reversal	p. 129
Forgiving Folks Who Don't Seem to Care	p. 133
Not Being Strong Enough to Ask for Help	p. 139
Getting Real Respite Without Taking Any Time Off	p. 143
Exchanging One Self for Another	p. 147
Passing a Crash Course in Unconditional Living and Dying	p. 151
Achieving My Caregiving from Within	p. 155
Caregiving of Everyone, by Everyone, and for Everyone	p. 159
Determining Your "Caregiving Readiness": Post- Assessment	p. 163
Acknowledgments	p. 173
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