During a period of time when we had caregiver assistance only in the morning hours, Mother would bring her reading material to where I was working – to read with the afternoon sun streaming over her shoulders. This completely un-staged photo was captured in a moment when I turned to find her apparent enjoyment with one of her publications.

For the entire time we were together, we kept those subscriptions active which my parents had renewed for many years. This included several church publications, local and regional newspapers, and Mother’s miscellaneous subscriptions such as Prevention Magazine.

When she found news about a relative, a college friend, or someone she knew, she would cut out the article and underline key points with her red ink pen, a carryover from teaching days.

 

I enrolled in Dr. Eisler’s first offering for “Conversation Leaders” in 2011, but when Mother became bedfast that year, I withdrew from the course and was able to complete the certification upon returning to Chicago. The course work is based on Dr. Eisler’s 2007 publication of The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating a Caring Economics. The book describes a new economics which values the essential work of caring for people and for our environment.  We need to transform the way in which our culture values caregiving, the important contribution of the caregiver, and the human rights of those in their care.

The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating a Caring Economics (2007)
Author: Riane Eisler, JD

The Chalice and the Blade is an important historical review of the shaping of human culture. Comparing two basic models of society – the dominator model and the partnership model – Dr. Eisler’s research offers new possibilities for creating a more humanistic world. This work, considered a classic, verifies our capacity for cooperation and our potential for building partnership systems.

The Chalice and The Blade – Our History, Our Future (1987)
Author: Riane Eisler, JD
2018 – Amazon #1 Best Seller in Women’s Studies History

Dementia Beyond Disease – Enhancing Well-Being presents a new framework for understanding and improving our care of people living with dementia. It’s a proactive approach which challenges drug-based interventions and describes a new experiential pathway to well-being. It requires the care partner to try to understand what it feels like to live with dementia. This framework offers a pathway for achieving a sustainable level of well-being. It is written for professionals, families, and those involved with dementia care.

Dementia Beyond Disease, Enhancing Well-Being (2014, 2017)
Revised Edition, 2017
Author: G. Allen Power, MD, FACP

In this landmark book, Dr. Power calls for radical change in our system and the way in which we provide care. We must question being “stuck in a pill paradigm,” the biomedical response of thinking that medication is what is needed.  This is the first book by a physician to challenge why we resort to this paradigm. He states, “… the narrow biomedical view has created a system of care that produces as much disability as the disorder itself.”  In 2010, the book received the prestigious “Book of the Year Award” from The American Journal of Nursing.

 

Dementia Beyond Drugs – Changing the Culture of Care
2nd Edition, 2017
Author: G. Allen Power, MD, FACP (2010, 2017)

The book is a scholarly synthesis which goes beyond the medical model. The powerful voices of the medical community, society, the media, family, friends, and caregivers can be overwhelming to the individual’s story. Instead of powerful voices “providing the script that shapes and determines our understanding of dementia, they themselves will be called to learn a new script,” he states. Readers are encouraged to tell their own stories to “redescribe dementia” in “new, challenging, and more faithful ways.”

Dementia – Living in the Memories of God (2012)
Author: John Swinton, PhD, BD, RMN, RNMD

This book is written for clinicians, hospice, palliative care professionals, and those in the helping professions. It is a beautiful handbook which includes a complete description of how to conduct Dignity Therapy. The author states, “…while patients may be dying for lack of dignity, the medical literature is relatively silent on how dying patients experience or understand the notion of dignity – that is, until now.” This is one of the first empirical studies about dignity from the perspective of dying patients.  It is evidence-based and the data are strong. An important aspect of Dignity Therapy is the significant value of generativity and legacy for family members.

Dignity Therapy – Final Words for Final Days (2012)
Author: Harvey Max Chochinov, MD, PhD, FRSC

The voices of Dr. Whitehouse and Dr. George are both scholarly and practical. In this comprehensive study of Alzheimer’s, they have sparked a larger conversation. We all have a role in determining the future. How and where will we invest? Will it be a future of darkness for many as dictated by the pharmaceutical industry? Or can we forge a future that leads to understanding, compassion and light? If we choose the latter, exactly how does that work? This 2008 publication offers a holistic pathway to aging with dignity.

The Myth of Alzheimer’s –  What You Aren’t Being Told About Today’s Most Dreaded Diagnosis (2008)
Authors: Peter Whitehouse, MD, PhD (Psychology); MA (Bioethics) and Daniel George, PhD, MSc

The author’s experience in being with the dying and their caregivers over a four-decade span has convinced her that studying the process of dying will affect how we live. In “practicing dying,” we are also “practicing living.” Her anecdotes are filled with poignant descriptions of the individual uniqueness of each person with whom she has walked the final journey.  She writes that she was initially concerned about being Buddhist – that her practice might seem “sectarian and inappropriate.”  But she found that over the years, she has learned how much Buddhist teachings have helped both the living and the dying – including people of many faiths.

Being With Dying – Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death (2009)
Author: Roshi Joan Halifax, PhD

This internationally-known geriatrician presents a comprehensive discussion of old age in which he proposes another stage – that of “elderhood.” Our culture has long denied old age – a time in which people become virtually invisible, tucked away out of sight. Ageism prevails and we hold onto adulthood for as long as possible.  This pioneer seeks to end ageism across the age spectrum, with a focus on what one is capable of doing, regardless of life-stage. He advocates for a culture in which we look to those who have achieved “elderhood” to share with us their wisdom, mentoring, and guidance.

What Are Old People For? How Elders Will Save the World
(Hardcover edition-2004; Paperback edition-2007)
Author: Bill Thomas, MD

Drawing upon his medical education, the author integrates Western medicine and his knowledge garnered from world travel and the study of other cultures. Emphasizing nutrition, exercise and stress reduction to maintain the body’s natural healing systems, he supports the use of conventional medicine for more radical intervention in the event of health crises. His philosophy combines science with openness to new paradigms and new models of care to achieve well-being.  Integrative medicine programs have been established at many leading institutions, including the Mayo Clinic, Georgetown, Duke, Columbia University, and Harvard Medical School.

Health and Healing – The Philosophy of Integrative Medicine
(1983, 1988, 1995, 1998, Preface revision, 2004)
Author: Andrew Weil, MD

Dr. Eisler’s newest book, coauthored with anthropologist, Douglas P. Fry, PhD, shows how to construct a more equitable, sustainable, and less violent world based on partnership rather than domination. At a time of great divisiveness in our culture, Dr. Eisler’s scholarly work offers an alternative. Our capacity for partnership being as great as our capacity for domination, it is here that our relatedness and concern for community can result in the fulfillment of our human potential. Our survival is dependent upon the critical choices we are making. In my lifetime, never has it mattered so much as in this moment.

Nurturing Our Humanity: How Domination and Partnership Shape Our Brains, Lives, and Future
(2019)
Authors: Riane Eisler, JD and Douglas P. Fry, PhD

Household Essentials: Tall Wicker Basket with Handles | Natural, Brown  

• Tall woven basket handmade from water hyacinth wicker
• Metal frame provides support for holding blankets, toys, magazines and more
• Stylish, contoured rim features a wide open top for easy access
• Color and size may vary because each piece is handwoven of natural fibers
• 17.3H x 16.1W x 14.2D inches

Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age – by Sanjay Gupta, MD

“I wish Keep Sharp  had existed when I was helping take care of my father…” Maria Shriver, Founder, “The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement”

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead – (April 7, 2015) by Brené Brown  (Author)

PRIME OVERNIGHT SHIPPING: Orders received Mondays-Thursdays before 10:00 AM PST will arrive next day. Please confirm your date at checkout! Unfortunately, there are no Saturday, Sunday, or Monday deliveries.

THE PERFECT GIFT: Check the box labeled “This is a gift” in your cart or at checkout and write a personalized message. When your flowers arrive, the recipient can peel back the shipping label to reveal your note. Don’t forget to sign your name.

Woven vinyl table runner:  Wipe clean. Washable. Burgundy red, 12” x 71”.

Woven texture. Protect tables from scratches and stains, lessen friction and add color. Durable. Fully reversible. Great gift for family members and friends.

“Let’s Celebrate” – Lunch Napkins.

16-count package of 3-ply paper lunch napkins. Approximately 6.5” x 6.5” folded.

Sweet Honey in the Rock:  A Tribute – Live jazz at Lincoln Center

Jazz standards, gospel/civil rights anthems, Afro-centric songs, show tunes, blues. This classic album, a 2013 release with powerful acapella singing, is as relevant today as when released.

Perfect for nurses and medical professionals. 3-hand quartz movement with highly visible red second hand. Multiple color options: Available in a variety of scrub matching colors and styles.

Elastic closure. 100% polyester mask with 2 filters. M-shaped nose clip. Adjustable elastic ear loops suitable for adults, men, women and teens.

Warm and fuzzy feeling inside: Designed with function and warmth in mind, the soft and lined Crocs for men and women are great as a slipper but also perfect for running errands.

A conversation-starter for your at-home Women’s Day lunch – to include care partner team and honored matriarch: Who was the “Notorious RBG”? Why does RBG have such a wide-ranging appeal to both women and girls – people of all ages?! 

Wear them for warmth and for fun!  

Add some color and warmth to your day with a pair of thigh-high striped stockings. Poly-cotton blend is both soft and breathable.

Long Arm Warmers with Fingerless Gloves

These knit arm warmers are perfect for women of all ages. Made of acrylic – very soft and warm with a good stretch to ensure a comfortable fit.

To reduce stress and promote relaxation

Be Fearless In The Pursuit Of What Sets Your Soul On Fire – by Papeterie Bleu

Organic spa gift basket ❤ Safe, natural ingredients ❤ The more we learn about skincare, the more we realize the importance of safe, natural formulas. These bath accessories were formulated with organic coconut oil and 100% pure ingredients. Good to the core, each product will nurture and protect the health of your skin.

Decorative throw pillow covers. Cotton linen cushion cover. 18×18 inches. For home couch, sofa, bench.

Johanna Basford 2021 Weekly Coloring Planner Calendar

Features include:  Gold foil-accented cover. Spiral binding. Spacious weekly spreads. Detailed illustrations throughout from one of Johanna’s eight best-selling books. High-quality paper stock specially selected by the artist.

The Original Pink Box – Cordless Drill – for those who do it all!

18-volt lithium ion battery with battery charger. Built-in LED light to illuminate work surface. Chuckles drill head. 22 torque settings.

Limited one year warranty.

What could be more comfortable than a soft, cozy cotton flannel shirt? One to match your cordless drill…?

Mother liked organizing her greeting cards, small gifts, and “favorite things” on her table top. She would have liked this for organizing and keeping her favorite things together. And why didn’t we think of this for Miss Ethel? She would have loved it.

Small canvas bag has zippered closure across the top and a removable strap.