I’m taking a big step and want to tell you about it. My 2024 goal is to finish a book about how to care for frail older people. It will be from a geriatrician's perspective. One year from now a book will be available online and in print.
Why do I have this goal?
More than 10,000 babies are born daily in the United States. At the same time more than 10,000 people turn 65 per day. Many seniors eventually become frail. It’s easy to find 100 books about how to take care of children. In contrast, there are few books written about how to care for frail older adults. Better information to support caregivers is absolutely needed. It’s something I can’t NOT do at this point in my career and life.
There ARE many books written about caregiver stress and ways to find help. Some books focus on financial management, estate, and funeral planning. Information about Alzheimer’s Disease and other common illnesses is available online. However, there are few books by geriatricians that are written specifically for caregivers. Constipation, sleep problems, and falls are examples of common geriatric syndromes. I’d like to help caregivers manage these difficult daily challenges.
My goal is to provide a resource that is practical and easy to understand. In addition, I will make sure that the information is accurate and up to date. But I’d also like to share things I’ve learned from patients and caregivers. It’s the human stories that matter the most. The things that are important to some patients are less important to others. A caregiver is the most significant person in the daily life of a frail older person. Yet caregivers have different lives, different challenges, and different resources. Some approaches work in some situations but not others. My hope is that I can help explore what works for each patient and each caregiver.
The Work Ahead
I am telling you my 2024 goal now, but it is something I’ve worked on for several years. In fact, I started this website with that intention. The website kept me on track and committed to writing. As a result, about half of the needed content has been drafted. In the months ahead, I will be working on topics such as urinary incontinence, skin damage, and mobility assistance.
Telling you about my goal is one more way of keeping me on track. I’m planning out my months. I’ll be doing well if I get to the editing and publishing work by August. Judging from my past activities, it always takes longer than I hoped. But I’m also giving myself deadlines. (Don’t worry, I’m also remembering to take care of myself.)
Thanks for letting me share my goal.
Warmest Aloha,
PS: I say it over and over again: There's no one more important than the caregiver in the daily life of a frail person.
I’m glad you are not only focusing on the caregiver, but also on the one being care for because too often, we talk of the “poor stressed out caregiver” and create the role of the one being cared for as the cause of the problem.As you said, these are human stories, and when we see the new person evolving before us as a person with dementia, we are able to give care with compassion, dignity with all that medical knowledge that will be covered in your book.The caregiver’s problems often are all human problems that are often not attended to in the doctor’s office.
. More than the physical caring, it’s the emotional and psychological that take their toll. So I look forward to your book. Thank you in advance.
Bravo !
My 2024 goal is to get out of bed by 5:30am every morning, which enables me to make positive start to the day, including stretching and aerobic exercise, and some ‘me’ time.
Good for you Warren. I’m sure it’ll be a valuable resource for many of us who are approaching that stage of life, or already have reached that stage. I look forward to purchasing the book.
Aloha
I am so happy to hear this HAIRY goal of yours and it’s about damn time! LOL I can’t think of anyone better to write this type of book with all the years of experience and listening, observing and advising folks and families as their loved ones age. Aging in place has taken on a new meaning for me these past months: aging with a new decade, aging while caregiving, aging while being a widow, aging alone, aging far from your family of orign. Those are just a few of the challenges facing us as we get older but the “wise” part is still negotiable. Just know that because you plan to write a book does not mean you are done by any means. You are a continuous learner and teacher and we need all of your gifts to sustain us, so rock on with your bad self Warren.
Way to go Warren!! You are rockin’ it!! Big goals and big outcomes; I would expect nothing less! 🙂
I look forward to the big book launch. Will stay tuned.
Cheers,
MJ
Congratulations! BHAG! You will do this, I am looking forward to reading this book