Unforeseen Journey

by John Roche

Overview

The rewards of family caregiving are many; the challenges, surprisingly impactful. You need to read this book if: -you feel that caregiving tasks previously done with ease now require extra motivation and energy to complete; -the compassion you once had is waning, and you find yourself cutting corners to complete caregiving tasks; -you feel that you are approaching the end of your rope, and you are overwhelmed due to stress and exhaustion; and -most importantly, if you are just beginning the work of caring for another human being. It will not prevent the abovementioned scenarios from happening, but it will allow you to tolerate them and survive. Challenges are coming your way. Help will be needed. The help starts here.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781984548368
Publisher:	Xlibris Us
Publication date:	09/18/2018
Pages:	178
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.56(d)

About the Author

John Roche is a Physical Therapist who works in Downey, California. He took on the role of caregiver for his mother not knowing the effect this would have on his life. While the love for his mother never varied, caregiving changed their relationship and affected the care he provided. this their story. John lives in Fullerton, California. He has three adult children: Breanna, Evan, and Kaitlyn.

Table of Contents

Introduction by John Roche, Prefeace by John Roche, 5-Introduction, 7-My Admission, 10-Caring, 13-Caring For My Mom, 18-The Truth and My Detour, 33-One Mother's Life, 47-The Journey, 73-The Last Eight Months, 105-Ten Years of Learning Too Late, 109-Caregiving and the Caregiver, 115-Respite Care, 117-Alzheimer's Disease, 120-The Dying Process, 123-Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVAor Stroke), 125-Resources, 129-Acknowledgements

Editorial Reviews

ByAmazon Customeron February 9, 2017

Format: Paperback

What an insightful variation of this authors feelings of being the caregiver to his mother as she ended her journey here on earth. I was my fathers caregiver the majority of the time prior to his death. This book truly helped me realize that I was not alone when it comes to the feeling of guilt associated with the caregiving for a parent during the tail end of their life.

ByAlyssa Youngermanon February 9, 2017

Format: Paperback

As I begin this journey with my ailing grandmother, I'm grateful I was more prepared to deal with the coming weeks by reading this book. Care giving is not an easy job and it's refreshing knowing that others share the same feelings and emotions I'm currently experiencing. I appreciate Mr. Roche's honesty and transparency when discussing such a difficult subject. Thank you again, John Roche, for sharing such your "Journey."

ByAmazon Customeron February 3, 2017

Format: Paperback

Verified Purchase

A must read for all adults. Relevant for potential caregivers as well as those who will be cared for. Should be mandatory for all those in the medical profession. We all have limits to what we can deal with without replenishment of our spirit particularly when we work with patients and then go home to care for our loved ones. Opens up conversations for end of life care and potential solutions to help with the journey in saying goodbye. Thank you, Mr Roche for your honest reflection of your experience. Carol Lopez

ByPamela S.on February 2, 2017

Format: Paperback

Verified Purchase

A well written, insightful, first-person account of the rewards, trials and needs of one being the sole caregiver for a family member. An excellent primer for anyone contemplating this route or a wake-up call for those already committed to this endeavor. Many helpful resources are also included.

From the Publisher

2018-11-24

A loving son explores the complexities of caring for his disabled mother over the course of a decade in this debut memoir and caregiver's guide.

In 2005, Roche was a divorced father with three adolescent children when his 76-year-old mother, Charlotte, moved in with him. She was partially paralyzed by a series of strokes and needed help with most basic tasks of self-care. As he notes in this book, he took on the role of caregiver willingly. He was a physical therapist by profession, so he was the logical choice among his family members to provide for his disabled parent. He was also motivated by a strong sense of love and gratitude for his mother's hard work and sacrifice throughout his childhood. She raised three children with little help from her alcoholic husband, he writes, and suffered her first stroke when he was still a toddler. As an adult, he was thrilled to be able to offer his home when she needed his help. However, within a couple of years, he says, his filial devotion began to be overshadowed by impatience, irritation, and a sense of his own life disappearing under the staggering load of responsibility. Then, just five years after Charlotte's arrival, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, which made life harder for both mother and son. Overall, Roche's narrative is personal and poignant as he describes his mother's strength and resilience as well as the disquieting milestones of her decline. Along the way, he presents a vivid portrait of the ravages of age and illness, and he's similarly unsparing in his dissection of his own failings as a caregiver. Excerpts from the journal he kept at the end of Charlotte's life are especially forceful in conveying the excruciating mix of love, sorrow, and guilt that characterized his last years with his mother, who died in 2015. The last section of the work is a heartfelt guide for caregivers with advice that effectively draws on his own experiences as well as a list of additional resources.

A warm, candid examination of what it means to provide care for a loved one at the end of life.

Kirkus Reviews