Book News:
Santa Fe-based health planning consultant, Anne Hays Egan, has announced the launch of her new book, Moving Mama: Taking Care of Mother During her Final Years with Alzheimer’s.
The book is listed at Amazon.com and can be found in the self-help genre, under “aging,” “Alzheimer’s” and “caring for parents with Alzheimer’s.”
Based on a true story, reviewers have called Moving Mama “a page turner,” and something “that I just couldn’t put down.”
Published by New Ventures Consulting, the 200 page book, “Moving Mama” is available in both paperback and ebook formats. The paperback is $11.99 on Amazon (www.Amazon.com) or Createspace (www.createspace.com), and the Kindle version is available for $4.99 on Amazon.com. Readers can go to the book website for easy ordering options: www.movingmama.net.
“Moving Mama is a practical resource for people caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, Egan said.
“The book tells about our family’s experiences caring for our mother as she struggled with dementia. Each chapter includes stories focused on a theme, and ends with tips, tools and resources to help the reader deal with similar issues. There is a resource section at the end of the book that identifies some of the most frequently needed services, how to reach them, and how to begin planning for caregiving.”
In her article “Older Adult Demographics That Will Rock Your World,” Egan explained why caring for older adults is such an important issue right now:
“Research shows that older adults are the fastest growing demographic group in the U.S., and those aged 80 and older are the fastest growing group within the elderly age cohort. Elder care is one of the biggest challenges facing baby boomers and those in their middle years, with an anticipated cumulative cost of over $3 trillion dollars in the coming years. Costs of caregiving are expected to present huge financial burdens to a significant portion of the population.”
Egan is a community and health planning consultant. In her career, she finds that individuals, families and communities need to understand that people caring for elderly parents, spouses and other loved ones need information, resources, help and support to respond to the needs of the frail elderly.
There are a lot of challenges involved in caregiving. Egan said
“Families must realize that, for the most part, they’re not prepared. Having faced the same issues myself, I know that no family could ever be fully prepared. However, reading and talking with others, and sitting down to discuss issues with your elderly loved ones before things become critical can make things easier down the road. Moving Mama is aimed at providing people with stories that make for wonderful reading, along with a lot of tips, tools and resources.”
The book covers the following topics:
- Wills, Living Wills and Health Care Powers of Attorney
- Driving and the Drivers’ License Renewal
- Identifying Caregiving Needs
- Handling the Increasing Needs for Support at Home
- Protecting and Managing Finances
- Dealing with a Slipping Memory
- Handling Nutrition and Personal Care
- Managing Sundowner’s Syndrome
- Selling the House
- Caring for Ourselves – Mindfulness and Self Care
- And Many Other Topics Most of Us Face
“We all are destined to become more frail as we age, often needing assistance,” Egan said. “And, unfortunately, many people develop Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia as they become older and more frail. Families must prepare themselves to provide care to their elderly. I feel fortunate to be able to share both my personal experience and my expertise as a health planning consultant in this book. I sincerely hope it will help others facing similar situations to find a few answers, and tap into their own reservoir of strength.”
The book doles out a realistic story of desperation and redemption, grief and survival, and love, hope and healing. Moving Mama is a story about experiences that have the potential to change lives, Egan said.
