When My Mother No Longer Knew My Name: a son's "course" in "rational" caregiving

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
954-772-7868
trendsman@aol.com

New book now available nationwide:
When My Mother No Longer Knew My Name:
A son’s “course” in “rational” caregiving

(Fort Lauderdale, FL, Feb. 7, 2012)—“All families must accept responsibility for caring for their aging and aged relatives at home, instead of warehousing them in nursing homes and other facilities,” says trends analyst and forecaster, and family caregiver, Stephen L. Goldstein, Ph.D. (trendsman@aol.com, www.rationalcaregiving.blogspot.com).

Goldstein’s memoir/how-to, When My Mother No Longer Knew My Name: A son’s “course” in “rational” caregiving, should be the first book families read to prepare for caring for aging relatives. It’s the caregiver’s “one-minute manager.” Each brief, compelling, highly readable chapter turns what a son learned on-the-job into immediate help for others. Step-by-step, Goldstein traces how his caregiving role evolved from nominal to 24/7.

“To begin with, I had to convince my mother to move in with me, which required delicate diplomacy,” he remembers. “Eventually, I had to learn how to deal with the various phases of her dementia—getting used to finding a sandwich in the clothes dryer, changing her diaper (on rare occasions, thank God!), keeping her from choking to death, and finally caring for myself after she died.

“I wrote the book I would have wanted to read before and while I was my mother’s caregiver—but which I never found!” Goldstein says. “No theory here! It’s all useful information. Strategically placed throughout the book are 75 practical tips to turn my experience into advice others can use. My narratives make caregiving real. My tips make it manageable—even joyful.” The book includes a “Cargiving Readiness Self-Assessment” so current and potential caregivers can benchmark and enhance their ability to manage the often lonely, challenging, unpredictable, and overwhelming roles they may assume.

When My Mother No Longer Knew My Name is a one-man support group, written like a friend who’s “been-there-done-that,” talking anecdotally, but authoritatively, to a friend who needs help. It is raw and gritty, as well as funny and inspiring. It makes people weep, but also gives them hope that they can overcome a mountain of seemingly insurmountable challenges, for which they likely feel devastatingly unprepared.

Order When My Mother No Longer Knew My Name at www.amazon.com (hard copy & Kindle), at www.barnesandnoble.com (hard copy & Nook Book), www.hellgatepress.com, and bookstores nationwide. It is published by Grid Press, an imprint of L&R Publishing, Ashland, Oregon, www.hellgatepress.com.#

CareLinx: Working to find compatible care at a lower cost

There isn’t much debate over the difficulty in finding and managing quality home-care for a loved one; the process can be time-consuming, expensive, and daunting for some. President and CEO of CareLinx, Sherwin Sheik understands first-hand from experiences with his own family the challenge of finding the right caregivers. Because of this challenge, Sheik worked to start CareLinx, a new online service that empowers users to seek personalized connections with compatible caregivers.

CareLinx aims to empower individuals by giving them the ability to directly search and connect with caregivers that match their specific needs on multiple dimensions of compatibility. “By matching algorithms, similar to search engines like Yelp.com or an online compatibility service such as Match.com, the probability increases that clients will foster a more successful, productive and caring relationship,” says Sheik.

CareLinx is able to reduce the cost of care by giving everyone the tools they need to directly connect with caregivers and manage all their home care services online, thereby eliminating a lot of the administrative costs that large agencies charge.

CareLinx also helps to make the process safe too; caregiver profiles include professional credentials, applicable health care licensure, performance reviews from prior employers and the option to complete background checks online. A caregiver registered on the CareLinx website must be willing to undergo an extensive background check, which covers criminal court records, ID verification, credentials and references, and education. Once a caregiver passes the background check, a “Verified” icon appears on their profile, which is visible to families searching for match.

For more information on CareLinx or to join for free today, visit www.carelinx.com.