Caregiving : The Spiritual Journey of Love, Loss, and Renewal

Helping your family and loved ones when they need you most "Caregiving has a big heart-on a much-needed topic. A rare book of spiritual and practical wisdom."-Sue Benderauthor of Plain and Simple and Everyday Sacred "A poignant, wise, and in-the-trenches view of caregiving that is both practical and spiritual, especially of value to midlife adults."-Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D., author of Goddesses in Everywoman and Close to the Bone "Lovely. . . . Beth McLeod's experience and wisdom shine through as she shares her heartfelt journey of loss, surrender, hope, and healing."-David Simon, M.D. medical director, the Chopra Center for Well Being, author of Vital Energy and Return to Wholeness Sooner or later it will touch us all: A family member or loved one becomes ill or disabled, and we step in to help. This is caregiving, and in this powerful, unique book, prizewinning writer and advocate Beth Witrogen McLeod leads us through the caregiving journey with unflinching authority and compassion. Framed by the author's personal odyssey as a caregiver and richly informed by the inspiring and poignant tales of others, Caregiving explores medical and financial problems, all aspects of spirituality, and such issues as depression, stress, housing, home care, and end-of-life concerns. A rare blend of powerful storytelling and practical information, Caregiving is a revelation.

BETH WITROGEN MCLEOD lectures nationwide and conducts Internet chat groups on caregiving issues. She has written for Family Circle, SELF, Good Housekeeping, the Noetic Sciences Review, and the San Francisco Examiner, is a consultant and syndicated columnist for Third Age Media, and teaches a course in family caregiving through the University of California. For her writing and advocacy, Beth McLeod has received many honors, including the Society for Professional Journalists Public Service Award, the National Hospice Organization's President's Award, the Primary Care Journalism Award from Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Media Award for Outstanding Public Service from the Family Caregiver Alliance. She lives in the San Francisco area with her husband and two cats.