WASHINGTON, DC — Family caregiving has its challenges: emotional overload, time constraints, anxiety, burnout, missed work, adult sibling conflicts, and marital issues. But providing care for a loved one can also be enriching. AARP Meditations for Caregivers: Practical, Emotional, and Spiritual Support for You and Your Family (Da Capo Lifelong Books, 978-0-7382-1902-8, July 2016, US $15.99) offers family caregivers tips and guidance on dealing with their practical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

“Too many family members approach the task of caring for a loved one with dread, convinced that they will feel trapped and burdened,” says co-author Dr. Barry Jacobs. “Our book provides real-life stories of family caregivers who have found ways to grow personally and spiritually through the essential and loving work they do.”

In AARP Meditations for Caregivers, Dr. Jacobs and Dr. Julia Mayer share their firsthand experience as both seasoned caregivers and family psychologists, providing solutions and new perspective on the challenging and emotional road of caregiving.  

Throughout the book, the authors stress the importance of minimizing caregiving’s strains while maximizing its gains. By grouping more than 150 meditations into the common themes associated with caregiving—anger, anxiety, guilt, and commitment, to name a few—Jacobs and Mayer help readers reclaim the positive benefits of caregiving, such as the transformative experience of assisting loved ones or the sense of belonging in a community of caregivers.

“AARP Meditations for Caregivers encourages and provides support for family caregivers as they do the important and necessary work of caring for their loved ones,” adds Dr. Julia Mayer. “Our goal is to help caregivers derive meaning and value from their efforts so that they grow from their experience.”

Caregiving Resources

• AARP Caregiving Resource Center www.aarp.org/caregiving
• AARP Home, Family and Caregiving Books

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About the Authors:

Barry J. Jacobs, PsyD is a clinical psychologist and family therapist with more than 25 years of experience and the author of The Emotional Survival Guide for Caregivers: Looking After Yourself and Your Family While Helping an Aging Parent. He blogs about caregiving for AARP.org.

Julia L. Mayer, PsyD is a clinical psychologist with nearly 25 years of experience and the author of A Fleeting State of Mind. She specializes in women’s issues, including caregiving and other relationship concerns.

About Da Capo Press and Lifelong Books:

Founded in 1964 as a publisher of music books, Da Capo Press became a general trade publisher in the mid-1970s. In 1999 it joined the Perseus Books Group, which became part of the Hachette Book Group in April of 2016. Da Capo has a wide-ranging list of mostly nonfiction titles, both hardcover and paperback, focusing on history, the performing arts, sports, and popular culture. Lifelong Books was founded as a health and wellness imprint in 2003 and has a broad list of titles focusing on pregnancy, parenting, fitness, relationships, healthful cooking, psychology, personal growth, sexuality, and aging. To learn more, visit www.dacapopress.com or follow @DaCapoPR on Twitter.

About AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million that helps people turn their goals and dreams into 'Real Possibilities' by changing the way America defines aging. With staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and promote the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare security, financial security and personal fulfillment. AARP also advocates for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name.  As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the world’s largest circulation magazine, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @aarp and our CEO @JoAnn_Jenkins on Twitter.

CONTACTS:
Greg Phillips, 202-434-2544, media@aarp.org, @AARPMedia
Lissa Warren, 617-252-5212, lissa.warren@perseusbooks.com