About this item
Caring for an elderly family member can be overwhelming. But fulfilling life experiences are still possible for both caregivers and their loved ones, despite the stress and fatigue of caregiving.In this comprehensive book, best-selling author Ann Kaiser Stearns explores the practical and personal challenges of both caregiving and successful aging. She couples findings from the latest research with powerful insights and problem-solving tips to help caregivers achieve the best life possible for those they care for -- and for themselves as they age. Topics include* Improving the quality of life for the one giving and the one receiving care* Distinguishing normal aging from early warning signs * Understanding caregiver sadness, resentment, guilt, and grief* Using strategies and skills to minimize an impaired elder's distress and emotional outbursts and the caregiver's own anxieties about growing old* Finding resources to aid in the care of the loved one and protect the caregiver from stress overload * Moving forward after the death of a loved one to have a meaningful life of one's own * Overcoming ageist stereotypes and deciding what kind of "old person" one will be* Making life easier for those who someday will care for usRedefining Aging will help readers think differently about caregiving and their own aging.
About the Author
Ann Kaiser Stearns grew up as a farm girl in Western Oklahoma where her grandparents on both sides settled around the time of statehood and later lived through the dust bowl days. She still loves horses, wide open fields, and thunder-filled or bright blue skies with billowy clouds - wherever they're to be found. The author of four books and a noted professor of psychology who has lectured and done media events widely around the country, she is a graduate of Oklahoma City University, Duke University, and the Union Institute and University. Author of the national bestseller, "Living Through Personal Crisis," published in seven languages, Dr. Stearns is a longtime Professor of Behavioral Science at the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC-Essex Campus) . She also has received excellence in teaching awards from the Maryland Psychological Association, Johns Hopkins University, and Loyola University Maryland. Having first studied for the ministry, she was an Associate Chaplain at Michigan State University and completed post-graduate studies in pastoral counseling before earning her doctorate in psychology. For ten years, while continuing to teach undergraduates, she was the Behavioral Scientist on the faculty of the Family Practice Residency Program at Franklin Square Hospital. For many years she also taught veteran police officers and their commanders. Dr. Stearns' latest book, "Redefining Aging - A Caregiver's Guide to Living Your Best Life," is published by Johns Hopkins University Press in paperback, hard cover, and ebook editions. She is the proud mother of two daughters and additionally greatly enjoys being a mother-in-law and grand mom.
