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This post will continue my previous blog on resources for caregivers. It will focus on resources for both caregivers and those in need of said care, whereas my first focused almost exclusively on resources for caregivers exclusively. If you are interested in circling back to the first post before continuing with this one, click here. These resources will expand on my previous blog, including additional local resources, database resources, and alternative materials provided by CCPL. I hope it helps!

Recommended Websites

  • This first link will take you to the Center for Disease Control’s article on “Disability and Health Information for Family Caregivers.” It is a really good first stop if you are new to caregiving or are the recipient of care. It walks you through the initial steps you should take to prepare and manage what’s to come. At the bottom of the page, there are additional CDC resources you should also read, including how to create a care plan, which is linked here for your convenience! 

  • Here, you will find Maryland’s Department of Human Services page for caregivers, which has a very comprehensive list of both local and national resources. There is a little bit of everything, from help finding backup care to financial assistance! You can click here to go to their caregiver training resources. 

  • This link takes you to an article on usa.gov about “Job Training and Employment Programs for People with Disabilities.” As the title would suggest, it lists a number of resources for people with disabilities who are interested in finding work. It also includes links to organizations that help with career training, as well as recommended job search websites!

  • This link takes you to United Healthcare’s page for caregivers, which provides additional information and links to resources that help give caregivers additional support and make sure they feel heard.

  • Click here to go to the Maryland Access Point page, which is an information and resources site aimed at providing long-term support services to those in need. Some of the resources it provides include an assessment to help you evaluate next steps, as well as the ability to sign up to receive informational or supportive text alerts.

  • This is the Family Caregiver Alliance page, where you can search by state for specific caregiving resources in your area. It is another excellent list of resources that gives you tools for starting out if caregiving is new to you. 

  • This last link takes you to the 211 Maryland page that provides other important information for caregiving, such as ways to get affordable medical equipment or what kinds of state assistance you may be eligible for. 

Useful Databases

Another resource that we love at CCPL is our bevy of databases! Each database is free for all library card holders. Here are our best options for caregiving support, information, and assistance! 

  • MedlinePlus

    This is an online health resource that exists to share the most relevant and up-to-date health information to its users. It also provides other very useful resources, like recipes for certain health needs and medication information.

  • Gale Onefile: Educator’s Reference Complete

    With this database, you can search almost any keyword and get back hundreds of hits for scholarly journals, books, and the latest news on a given topic. When you click the link, try typing in “caregiving” and see what results you get!

  • Gale Onefile: Nursing and Allied Health

    This resource, as it is another Gale resource, operates much the same as the Educator’s Reference. The key difference is that this specific database focuses on medical resources. You could use this database to learn the most up-to-date information on a certain disease or disability.

Caregiver Kits

Below is a list of caregiver kits created and provided by our friends in Calvert County! These kits are designed for caregivers to give to those they are caring for, generally intended for the elderly or those suffering from Alzheimer’s or Dementia. Each kit has a list of all the included items in the description if you are interested in reading more. Place and hold today to check one out and see what it is all about!! 

Material Recommendations

What If It’s not Alzheimer’s? A Caregiver’s Guide to Dementia

“This book is the first and only comprehensive guide dealing with frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), one of the largest groups of non-Alzheimer’s dementias. The contributors are either specialists in their fields or have exceptional hands-on experience with FTD sufferers”– Provided by publisher.

The Caregiver Helpbook: Powerful Tools for Caregivers

“One of the greatest challenges of being a family caregiver is maintaining one’s own physical and emotional health. This book, developed as part of the family caregiver education program, ‘Powerful Tools for Caregivers, ‘ is designed to provide caregivers with tools to increase self care and give them confidence in handling difficult situations, emotions, and decisions.”–Back cover

The Caregiver’s Companion: Caring for Your Loved One Medically, Financially and Emotionally While Caring for Yourself

“Everything you need to know to ensure that your elderly loved one is being properly cared for. People today are not only living longer, they are also living sicker-making aging and caring for elderly loved ones more complicated than ever before. In this extensive guide, caregiver advocate Carolyn Brent outlines a step-by-step process so caregivers know what to do and what to ask in every situation that may arise, including: [bullet] Signs that your loved one needs more assistance [bullet] What to look for in a retirement home [bullet] Caretaking in your own home [bullet] How to ensure wills are in order [bullet] How to manage difficult family relationships [bullet] Ensuring you are getting the help and care you need Brent leaves no stone unturned, provides personal stories and scenarios for context, and includes other references and resources in this complete guide to caregiving”– Provided by publisher.

Eldercare 101: A Practical Guide to Later Life Planning, Care, and Wellbeing

The Silver Tsunami is upon us as elder care and crisis management reaches a tipping point with the graying of America. By 2020, 54 million people in the U.S. will be over the age of 65; by 2030, that number will top 80 million. Feeling the squeeze of multi-generational home demands, children of aging parents are struggling to learn innovative eldercare management strategies and often find themselves overwhelmed by the many facets of caregiving. Eldercare 101 is the answer to making order from chaos. As a guide covering all aspects of aging and end-of-life in one place, caregivers will no longer spend endless nights trying to decode the Internet trail–confused, uncertain, and fearful of what they&#x;re missing. Whether they are proactively planning ahead or need to have fast answers, this comprehensive, technology-rich resource presents steppingstones for the Sandwich Generation as they navigate caring for aging parents, grandparents, friends, and other family members. Eldercare 101 is a well-researched, organized, easy-to-understand guide for families desperately in need of help as they care for their aging loved ones. The book is organized into “6 pillars of aging wellbeing”: legal, financial, living environment, social, medical, and spiritual. Each pillar is explored by an expert and offers best practices and tips for evaluating choices, making decisions, and living well wherever the road might lead. — Publisher.

Through the Seasons: Activities for Memory-Challenged Adults and Their Caregivers

“Activity books are a medically recommended intervention for memory-impaired adults. The book is designed with two-page spreads, which pair a picture on one page and instructions on the other page for prompting recall. New features include all new images, references to online resources, and a multicultural approach. The introductory chapter now has suggestions for how the book can be used at home and in institutional settings”– Provided by publisher.

Cruising Through Caregiving (Ebook)

Caregiving is no vacation, but you can cruise more smoothly through it! If you’re facing the daunting reality that you’re about to become a caregiver—whether you planned for it or not— Cruising through Caregiving is the down-to-earth and authoritative answer you need. Jennifer FitzPatrick has been through nearly every possible scenario on the caregiving spectrum, both professionally and personally, and she expertly shows you how to be a responsible, loving caregiver without being overcome by guilt, exhaustion, or worry. It doesn’t matter whether you have advantages such as money or an extended family. You don’t have to passively just let things happen. No matter your particular situation, FitzPatrick has a practical and thoughtful solution to deal with it. She’ll help you discover and harness powers you don’t even know you have—from getting other family members to participate in caregiving to navigating a loved one’s finances, living setting, or declining physical and mental health conditions. ​Advice and resources from FitzPatrick and twenty-four other professionals show how to give your loved one the best quality of life possible without sacrificing your own life, health, career, relationships, or financial stability.

The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving: A Novel (Audiobook)

The Family Caregiver’s Manual: A Practical Guide to Managing the Care of Your Loved One

“In this practical manual, family caregiving expert David Levy sets forth how to evaluate priorities, understand options, and face bedrock issues (legal, financial, emotional, social), so caregivers can make wise and informed decisions for their loved ones, while gaining peace of mind from knowing they did they best they could under the circumstances”– Provided by publisher.

The Caregiver’s Encyclopedia: A Compassionate Guide to Caring for Older Adults

Caregivers hold the key to the health, well-being, and happiness of their aging relatives, partners, or friends. The Caregiver’s Encyclopedia provides you with all of the information you need to take the best care of your loved one–from making major medical decisions to making sure you don’t burn out. –Publisher

Caregiver’s Survival Guide: Caring for Yourself While Caring for a Loved One

(Click here for the large print option)

A practical and compassionate look at what’s needed when caring for a loved one suffering from an illness or injury.