The Emotional Survival Guide for Caregivers Looking After Yourself and Your Family While Helping an Aging Parent

"Caring for a parent whose health is in decline is a deeply meaningful way to express your love and loyalty. But if you've picked up this book, chances are you're also struggling with some aspect of your role as a caregiver. Whether you're tired of clashes with siblings, frustrated that your parent no longer seems to appreciate your help, or confused by ambivalent feelings, you're not alone. The emotional toll of caregiving is seldom acknowledged, but the costs are tremendous and the potential for burnout is high. Barry Jacobs has been there - both as therapist and as a child who felt the impact of caregiving on his own family. He helps you make sense of the turmoil and teaches you ways to cope with competing loyalties, role reversals, and the vicissitudes of illness." "Above all, this book emphasizes the need for clear communication and mutual respect among family members. It can help you and your loved ones grow closer and stronger as you navigate one of life's most difficult passages."--BOOK JACKET.

Barry Jacobs, PsyD, works with couples and families coping with serious health problems. He has faculty appointments at Temple University, the University Of Pennsylvania, and Widener University, and is the Director of Behavioral Sciences for the Crozer-Keystone Family Medicine Residency Program in Springfield, PA. He is also a widely published journalist who has written extensively for The Village Voice and other publications. Currently, he pens an advice column for Take Care!, the quarterly newsletter of the National Family Caregivers Association, and edits the “In Sickness & Health” column for the journal Families, Systems & Health. He lives with his wife and their two children in Swarthmore, PA.