Barry J. Jacobs knows something about caregiving. Not only does he regularly work with caregivers as a clinical psychologist, he also cared for his mother after she became ill with dementia and osteoarthritis.
“I didn’t enjoy it,” he admits. “But on balance, I’m glad to have done it. I think I did the right thing, and I got my mother into a much better place, living with a level of comfort that she didn’t have otherwise.”
Living with those two co-existing realities — that caregiving can be incredibly hard, but that the right mindset can make it bearable, and even gratifying — is the premise of Jacobs’ new book, AARP Meditations for Caregivers: Practical, Emotional and Spiritual Support for You and Your Family, published earlier this week. The easily digestible volume consists of 152 brief stories from real families who have experienced caregiving challenges.
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