Toolkit for Caregivers Book Review

I read this book because I sometimes read books totally outside of my field of interest. I like to broaden my horizons. And you never know—my parents are over 65 now.

So, I didn’t read Toolkit for Caregivers to solve my immediate problems and needs. I read it as a book. And it’s a good book.

CONS

It has almost no cons. The tone is a bit dry sometimes. Deidre goes over the list of caregiver duties like a pilot runs through a checklist. But I guess it’s necessary. As passengers rely on a pilot for their safety, a human life depends on the caregiver’s full attention and skills.

Also, Americans will get the most out of the book. Whenever Deidre speaks of some purchases, she refers to the shops she used. Those may be not directly correspondent to the shops in Canada, Australia, or Germany. The same applies to some offices and health care.

In fact, I wrote the above to write anything at all about cons. Because this book is as close to perfection as it gets.

PROS

1. It Serves Its Purpose Perfectly.

This book was written with the intention to equip common mortals upon whom the unexpected responsibility was bestowed. Usually, it happens pretty rapidly. No one ever is prepared for it.

Deidre had been a nurse—she thought she was ready for full-time caregiving, and yet she still found herself not prepared. It is 100 times more overwhelming for those who had no such experience and who became caregivers due to some random event, not a chronic illness.

Toolkit for Caregivers fulfills its purpose perfectly. Of course, Deidre’s prose is not ornamental it’s not the kind of flowery prose that belongs in literary fiction. This book is for caregivers. It covers all the angles. It’s very practical. It’s useful. It doesn’t artificially inflate the page count.

It’s perfect.

2. Covers All the Angles.

The author very methodically goes through everything a caregiver needs, from equipment and sanitary supplies, through nursing procedure and the emotional needs of both a caregiver and a patient.

I can imagine how overwhelmed an accidental caregiver can feel. Having this toolkit, you can scroll (or turn) the pages till you find whatever you need at a given moment. You don’t have to know it all. You can learn step-by-step exactly what you need and when you need it.

3. It’s Practical to the Bone.

A caregiver deals with things he or she probably never planned to face, like cleaning the intimate areas of a patient. And it’s just one vivid example of MANY “unusual” things a caregiver does. And you know what? Deidre talks about ALL of them. She does it not in some figurative fashion. She provides the exact steps, tools, and procedures you need to apply.

Deidre explains every tiny details of bathing, shaving, or defecating. Everything. And it’s practical. You can open the book and perform a specific procedure for the first time in your life following her instructions step-by-step.

4. It Comes from Experience.

This shines through each page of the book. Deidre has been there and done that. Therefore, she has four times greater of a chance to teach you about giving care than people do who have certificates and education but not practice.

She was in your shoes. She can help. And you can feel her compassion to fellow caregivers and their patients. It makes this textbook-like book compassionate as well. You get the best of both worlds: someone who knows what is she doing and someone who speaks about it tenderly.

5. Resources.

Yes, the author mentions where to buy the best items and where to look for help. But the best resources are right within the book, especially the photos accompanying the instructions. You won’t only read how to move or wash a patient; you will see it too.

Summary

If you never expected to end up as a caregiver, I cannot imagine a better book for you. The author of Toolkit for Caregivers provides everything you need to take care of your loved ones. Deidre doesn’t shy away from any topic and covers them all.

She also knows exactly how you feel as a long-term caregiver and has some solutions not just for your patient, but for you.

Awesome, awesome resource for caregivers!