The Caregiver’s Path to Compassionate Decision Making: Making Choices for Those Who Can’t guides families and healthcare professionals who are struggling to make the right decisions for those who are losing or have lost capacity.Who needs this book? Anyone dealing with those who have Alzheimer’s, dementia, strokes, brain injuries, mental illness, developmental delays or other mental limitations.
How will it help? Whether it’s taking away the car keys, moving to a long-term care facility or making the end-of-life decisions, The Caregiver’s Path provides an adaptable system for making choices while respecting the individual’s values and beliefs. The tools and strategies learned will help remove the continuous angst of, “Am I doing the right thing?”
Wouldn’t it be a relief to know you are making the right decisions and
doing right by the person in your care?
Advance Praise:
“An excellent guide for families left struggling and feeling overwhelmed when making decisions for those who are incapacitated. The tone is conversational, examples familiar and explanations simple and clear. With comfort and assurance, decisions are made systematically, while respecting the wishes of the individual. Every caregiver should read this guide before there is a crisis.”
—Edna Ballard, MSW, ACSW, Duke Family Support Program; senior fellow, Center for
the Study of Aging and Human Development; Bryan Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.
“The Caregiver’s Path is a book that speaks to the head and to the heart. It will give readers the tools they need to give the care we all want and deserve. Highly recommended.”
– Harry R. Moody, Ph.D., Director of Academic Affairs, AARP
Finally an insightful and, most importantly, easy-to-understand guide for caregivers navigating the difficult, yet oftentimes heartwarming landscape of caring for their aging parents. Viki Kind has written a practical “brass-tacks” guide of what you need to make the best decisions for your elder loved one and she has done it with the compassion and skill you can trust when making these difficult choices. Bravo!
–Jill Gilbert, Co-Founder & Former CEO, GilbertGuide.com; Co-Producer, Digital Health @ CES
About the Author:
Viki Kind is a clinical bioethicist, medical educator and hospice volunteer. She is a renowned lecturer inspiring healthcare professionals throughout the United States to have integrity and compassion, and teaches them techniques to improve communication about end-of-life care. She is the co-creator of the nationally distributed DVD, “The Trusted Advisor: Relate, Respect and Respond,” which focuses on improving the senior patient’s medical experience. Patients, families and healthcare professionals have come to rely on Viki’s practical approach to dealing with challenging healthcare dilemmas.
Viki provides bioethics consultation and support for many hospitals in the Los Angeles area. She is also a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Bioethics Committee and the Southern California Bioethics Committee Consortium. She holds a master’s degree in bioethics from the Medical College of Wisconsin and a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from California State University at Northridge. She also has specialized training in mediation and cultural negotiation from Pepperdine University and UCLA.
For more information about Viki, “The Caregiver’s Path to Compassionate Decision Making: Making Choices for Those Who Can’t,” and the topics of bioethics, visit www.kindethics.com.
Viki Kind, MA
viki@kindethics.com
(805) 807-4474
Making Choices for those Who Can’t
A Free Alzheimer’s Educational Presentation and Book Signing Event
Wednesday, July 7th 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm
Featuring Author Viki Kind, MA
The Caregiver’s Path to Compassionate Decision Making:
RSVP: Bernadette Homan 888-225-1684
Marketing Director of Arden Courts Seminole
9300 137th Street N (Antilles Drive)
Seminole, FL 33776
Placing an aging parent has got to be one of the most difficult task one may ever face. Let’s face it, we all want what is best for our parents and when safety is compromised, selecting the “right” care home becomes critical. Here are some factors that you should consider when shopping for the best senior care facility for your Mom or Dad.
1. Location – Select a location that will allow your Mom or Dad to have visitors. There may be an esthetically pleasing assisted living facility fifteen miles away but the reality is that perhaps you should settle on a location closer to your home where mom’s good friend lives so quality time and frequent visits will not put a strain on your relationship. Ultimately you are looking for good quality senior care and that should always be your priority. Thirty minutes of just “people watching” will allow you also to observe the lifestyle of the senior retirement community to help you determine if you can envision Mom or Dad living there.
2. Fees - Caregivers and seniors alike should investigate the assisted living/nursing home management company. Often times senior retirement companies buy out various properties. If you select a property that has a financially strong Parent Company backing them then chances are Fees will change with the trend of the location. The worst is your loved one selects a property to relocate and the property is sold to another management company with a significant price increase and the uncertainty with new management altering the overall lifestyle of a community.
3. Food – If food is important to you, you better sample the food. Often caregivers and seniors alike do not take the time to sample the cuisine from the dining room of a community. From simply observing the variety of meals a senior retirement community offers can alleviate the unknown of “what’s for dinner”.
4. Tour – If your tour is scheduled for 1pm, show up half an hour early. Scope out the parking lot for other caregivers and inquiry about their own satisfaction about the community. Everyone has an opinion and its best to collect as many unsolicited comments regarding the property and quality of care as best as possible.
5. Turnover – Be sure to inquiry about community staff turnover. Employee turnover is critical to gain an understanding of the type of care you can possibly expect. I toured recently Arden Courts Alzheimer’s Assisted Living in West Palm Beach, Florida and met Rosalie. Rosalie is a home health aide employed at Arden Courts of West Palm Beach for over 10 years!!!! Outstanding! There are plenty of compassionate health care professionals that truly are out to promote quality of living and work becomes family. Be on the look out for these shining stars when narrowing down your search for the “perfect” senior retirement community.
What is Senior Care Advocacy?
Care Providers that are able to fulfill the needs of seniors and individuals with disabilities by advocating for their rights, dignity and quality of life, by promoting knowledge and self-determination.
Why Select Almost Family For Your Home Health Care Needs?
The Almost Family difference starts with our Senior Advocacy philosophy: to address the challenges facing our aging population in a revolutionary new way. Our clinical team looks beyond the obvious needs of our patients to become advocates for their physical, mental and emotional well-being. Whether you are faced with a new diagnosis, recent surgery, chronic health problem or a long-term illness, we can provide highly skilled and compassionate care. Our Senior Advocacy programs provide specialized services to promote optimum health and help keep you independent for as long as possible. Our Registered Nurses and other staff receive advanced training and credentialing. Each patient’s skilled Senior Advocacy Care team is coordinated by a nurse care manager who works closely with the patient’s own physician to achieve the goals of treatment. Other members of the home health team include: Physical, occupational and speech therapists to increase the patient’s strength, mobility, safety and communication; medical social workers to identify resources and offer counseling and support; dieticians, and other specialists.
