Caregiving Resources

A Ministry of Caring. A skill training course of 11 sessions. Designed to affirm God's call to Christians to care for hurting persons. Leader's Guide: $8. Participant Workbook: $10. www.UpperRoom.org/bookstore.

Caregiving: Church & Family Together , by Marty Richards. $4.50. Geneva Press.
Caresharing: A Reciprocal Approach to Caregiving and Care Receiving in the Complexities of Aging, Illness or Disability, by Marty Richards, $24.99, Skylight Paths Publishing, 2009. www.skylightpaths.com

Caring for Elders: Mind, Body and Spirit, an Educational DVD for Stephen Minister Training or Adult Education. Facilitator's Guide also provided. $99. Available from the Center for Spirituality and Ethics in Aging, dkoepke@frontportch.net.

Caring for Ourselves While Caring for Our Elders, by Maren C. Tirabassi, Maria I. Tirabassi and Leanne McCall Tigert. True stories of families caring for elderly loved ones. Pilgrim Press, Cleveland, OH 2007.

Caring for the Caregiver is a comprehensive resource for congregations published by the Lutheran Deaconess Association at Valparaiso University. It includes devotions, sample agendas, study materials, and guidelines for surveying your congregation and community. There is also a 12-page annotated bibliography of resources on caregiving. The resource comes in a sturdy three-ring loose-leaf binder. Cost: $39.95 plus $5.50 for S&H. Additional copies available at $25 each. Order from the website: www.valpo.edu/lda/resources.html#caring.

Caring for Caregivers. Contact Alliance of Baptists, (206) 745-7609.

Compassionate Caregiving, by Lois D. Knutson. Pastor and Chaplain Knutson provides suggestions and spiritual encouragement for caregivers. She views caregiving as a spiritual experience where the caregiver follows the sacred calling of a loving God. Practical caregiving tips to benefit both care givers and care receivers. Bethany Press, Minneapolis, MN. 2007.

The Family Guide to Alzheimer's Disease . 5 DVDs and a study booklet. Contact Life View Resources, Inc., P.O. Box 290787 , Nashville , TN.

Healing Songs: Devotions for Caregivers. Includes songs, devotions, prayers, Scripture readings and reflection questions. Devotional booklet: $6. CD and booklet: $20. Cassette tape and booklet: $15. To order contact Lutheran Deaconess Association, 219-464-6925, or www.theLDA.org.

If God Is My Strength, Why Am I Still Tired? By Maggie Hilmer. A collection of devotions for caregivers. Creative Communications for the Parish, 1-800-325-9414.

It Takes More Than Love by Anita G. Beckerman and Ruth M. Tappen. A book for caregivers with practical advice to help with daily tasks. Health Professions Press, Baltimore, MD.

Lessons in Caregiving for the Dying, by William H. Griffith, Judson Press, Valley Forge , PA.

A Ministry of Caring: Leader's Guide and Participant Workbook, by Duane A. Ewers, is a skill training course divided into 11 sessions. Designed to help participants become more sensitive to caring opportunities and develop skills for effective caring. Leader's Guide: $8; Participant Workbook: $10. www.upperroom.org/bookstore.

Not Alone: Encouragement for Caregivers, by Neil Noonan. $20. Devotional support to help individuals committed to attending to an ill or impaired loved one or friend. www.upperroom.org/bookstore.

Parting: A Handbook for Spiritual Care Near the End of Life by Jennifer Sutton Holder & Jann Aldredge-Clanton. $8.95. Published by the Foundation for End-of-Life Care and the P. L. Dodge Foundation. This book is based on the Hospice model and stresses support and comfort, leaving control of the agenda up to the dying person.

The Thoughtful Caregiver. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, James Miller (author of Autumn Wisdom: Finding Meaning in Life's Later Years) posts thoughts and photos on a free website: www.thoughtfulcaregiver.com.