In her typical, straight-talking yet comforting and humorous style, geriatrician and family caregiver, Dr. Cheryl Woodson, explores specific questions caregivers asked in her geriatrics practice and at national presentations over her almost 40-year career. Dr. Cheryl believed these topics were beyond the scope of her popular eldercare resource, TO SURVIVE CAREGIVING: A Daughter's Experience, A Doctor's Advice- 2nd ed. She wrote the Doctor is IN as a companion book to give caregivers in-depth discussions of several painful challenges. Topics include how to:
- Recognize and decrease the physical and emotional impact of stress.
- Balance the needs of your seniors and your marriage, children, job, finances, and your joy.
- Review options when a senior can no longer be indepenent and decide whether you and your senior should share a residence.
- Cope with grief and co-dependency during caregiving and prepare for life after caregiving.
- Discuss the option of using a nursing home when you promised,"Never" and how to remain a strong caregiving advocate if you must make that painful decision.
Other chapters dispel myths about Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, teach families to recognize the risks of elder abuse and neglect, and make changes before a tragedy occurs. The chapter, Prepare to Care, encourages Millenials, Gen-Xers and anyone else who fears future caregiving. This chapter also offers strategies for making our adult children's lives easier when we need care. Another chapter shares wisdom from the Care Warriors, experienced caregivers who successfully navigated the path between excellent eldercare and necessary self-care. An expecially poignant chapter, Another Kind of Widow, supports people whose spouses have dementia.
With her unique perspective as doctor and daughter and with support from the Care Warriors, Dr. Cheryl validates your worries, while offering practical options, and clear decision-making processes to overcome those worries. This information and support guides you to give excellent eldercare while taking good care of yourself.
Woodson, Cheryl E.: - Dr. Cheryl Woodson taught and practiced Geriatric Medicine for almost 40 years, raised a family, and navigated her mother's 10-year journey with Alzheimer's disease. She completed her BA at Wesleyan University in CT, MD at the University of Pittsburgh, residency in Internal Medicine at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA, and a fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at UCLA. She has earned board certifications in Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Health Care Quality Management and taught at The University of Chicago Pritker School of Medicine and the Northwestern University Feinburg School of Medicine. She cared for patients and families in several settings including The Woodson Center for Adult Health Care, a community-based, solo-private practice that she founded and directed. The Center was unique in offering sub-specialty-level geriatrics evaluation and treatment along with primary health care services to adults of all ages. Dr. Cheryl finished her medical career in managed care administration where she worked to build bridges between the patient care and business sides of the health industry. She has served on several national eldercare policy committees and consults with community and faith-based organizations in the Chicago area. She was a board member of the RRF Foundation for Aging and now serves on the board of the National Council on Aging. Dr. Cheryl is an award-winning author of TO SURVIVE CAREGIVING, A Daughter's Experience, A Doctor's Advice (1st and 2nd editions), The Doctor is IN: Answering Your Questions About How to Survive Caregiving, and the inspirational title, workbook, and journal, Dear Lauren, Love Mom: 31 Days of Affirmations for My Daughter, for Myself, and for YOU. Under the pseudonym, Tería Robens, she also published What the Mirror Sees, the first of several romance novels about grown women who thought it was too late to believe in true love. In retirement, Dr Cheryl continues to write, speak, and consult to improve the lives of older adults and family caregivers, treat stress and burn-out among health care professionals, encourage women to take better care of themselves, and challenge all adults to LIVE OUT LOUD and AGE EXCELLENTLY.
