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aring for an elderly or ill loved one can be logistically difficult, physically exhausting and emotionally grueling—and the vast majority of home caregivers assume the job with no experience and few resources. Tena Scallan, who for 25 years ran a home care agency serving Gulf Coast residents in three states, has gift-wrapped her own vast experience and resources in the form of a 400-page book, The Ultimate Compassionate Guide to Caregiving: A Simple Blueprint for Dealing with Today’s Healthcare Crisis Combined with Years of Wisdom and Sound Advice.

    A 2015 study by the AARP Public Policy Institute and the National Alliance for Caregiving estimates that 34.2 million Americans provided unpaid care to someone age 50 or older in the previous 12 months. The challenges to these millions of caregivers are well documented, and plenty of books have been written to acknowledge those challenges and uplift the caregivers. But Scallan’s book is less “You can do it” than “How to do it,” covering every facet of caregiving, from flossing someone else’s teeth (or cleaning his dentures), to shopping for and preparing nutritionally balanced meals, to assessing eligibility for government assistance.  

    The information Scallan provides here is nothing short of encyclopedic, and in fact her book is formatted to be used as a reference tool, not read from cover to cover. The exhaustive table of contents—outlining 16 chapters on matters physical, psychological, financial, medical, logistical and legal, plus two chapters serving as a documentation planner and resource guide—makes an excellent index, although there is a separate index at the back of the book as well. And the information in the book is typically presented in bite-sized pieces (bulleted lists, quick tips and so forth) that stressed caregivers can digest in a hurry.

    Scallan devotes an entire chapter to the physical well-being of the caregiver, particularly the mechanics of assisting a patient who is unstable or unable to support his own body weight. But much of her advice applies to caregiver and patient alike, as so many caregivers are elderly themselves. Her chapters on Legalities (e.g., reverse mortgage FAQs) and Safety (e.g., what to do if your car breaks down) should be required reading for any senior, disabled or not.

    All this nuts-and-bolts information is available elsewhere—just not all in one place. But what readers won’t find elsewhere are Scallan’s equally pragmatic tips for communicating clearly and sidestepping confrontation. This wise counsel—obviously the product of long experience—helps protect one of the most important and fragile aspects of caregiving: the relationship between loved ones who’ve been thrust into the difficult roles of patient and caregiver. 

Biography

Caregiving has always been Tena Scallan’s passion. She began caregiving as a 14-year-old candy striper, earned a degree in medical/business administration, and worked in several administrative capacities at Humana Hospital in New Orleans and then a rehabilitation center in Slidell, Louisiana. After running a home health agency in Louisiana for seven years, Scallan launched own caregiving business with great success. Ten years later, she gave up the business to move to Florida, but still she was constantly asked to share her professional wisdom. She began compiling it—and The Ultimate Caregiver was born.