Crossroads at Midlife: Your Aging Parents, Your Emotions, and Your Self

By Frances Cohen Praver

Book Overview

With medical science, health care, and healthy lifestyles extending our lifespans as never before, more and more midlife adults are finding themselves caring for their aging parents. This role can trigger not only logistical and financial challenges, but also great emotional upheaval. There is a reversal of roles as the child--often in the midst of raising his or her own adolescent or young adult offspring--becomes the caretaker of the parent. A parent's aging and mortality elicits strong feelings of loss, and a stark realization of one's own aging and mortality. Past, present, and future paths converge, and the caretaker is at the center of that crossroads. Psychologist Praver--a specialist working with such caretakers--shows us their inner worlds, and how they used a difficult point in their lives to embark on a journey of self-understanding and self-transformation--a journey toward a more meaningful life for themselves.

Readers can gain a better understanding of their own lives-- and know they are not alone in their struggles to contend with and find powerful benefits from the emotional side of caring for an aging parent. Distress can become peace of mind, as we see in the stories of men and women who sought Praver's help. Relationships that might be weakened by a caretaker role--relationships between caretakers and their children, spouses, and friends--can actually grow stronger with the experience. Profound issues affecting caretakers are shared in this evocative book, which is an enlightening and enjoyable read.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0275981835
• ISBN13: 9780275981839
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: Praeger
• Length: 184 Pages
• Weight: 0.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.0" x 6.1"

Customer Reviews

Study Guide is VERY helpful!!!!

I have found the Study Guide to be very helpful........ one of the best I have ever used. I highly recommend it.

Must have!

If you have the Textbook you need to have this Study Guide too! It has lots of exercises and really helps. I recommend it!

Good book, even though it's required

This book was required for my last semester of nursing school (OB/Peds), but I still think it's a good book. It does a good job of combining OB & Peds instead of having two separate (and often confusing) references as we've had in other subjects. ~~~It's now near the end of the semester and I wanted to amend my review of this book. I tried to change my rating to 4 stars and couldn't. I personally feel that the book contains...

Great study guide

This study guide makes up for everything that the text book lacks. I got the study guide in time for the 2nd exam and oh boy has it helped. I have recommended to all my fellow class mates to get this book.

Easy to understand, terrific illustrations/pictures

This is a reference book I come back to again and again. The text is written in a no-nonsense straight forward manner. The technical terms are all defined in an easy to use glossary at the beginning of each chapter. This book describes every treatment step in detail in easy to understand language. Its the first book I turn to when dealing with matern-child treatment.