Eldercare

Parents face challenges all the time. Working to keep your kids safe, even as they fight to be free. Struggling to keep a household intact when the economy has tanked, and your income isn’t what it once was. Watching a beloved pet decline as old age takes its toll. These things are hard. But what’s more difficult is when you are the child, and your elderly parent requires around-the-clock care.

In this well-researched, fictionalized account of her struggle with caring for her father, author Rebecca Warner describes in heartbreaking prose what it’s like to see a dear parent slip away. Not only is her father suffering from Parkinson’s and diabetes, but he has Alzheimer’s. And the combination of afflictions is devastating.

But this story isn’t just about an ailing parent. It’s about family and the power of love when a person most needs it. The author contrasts beautifully the experience of taking care of her father while also looking after her aging dog, who suffers from hip dysplasia. Where the two plots come together is the interaction between the patient and the dog. He’s adamant that he wants nothing to do with the animal, yet the sweet Labrador loves him. Eventually, they come to accept each other.

If you’re looking for an inspirational story to get you through these trying times, then pick up My Dad My Dog. You’ll learn that in illness, gifts can be found.

You can find this review at Goodreads.

Book Description

When she moves her Alzheimer’s-afflicted dad into the home she shares with her husband and elderly dog, Rachel Morgan expects some complications, but she never imagines the biggest one will occur on the first day, threatening her best-intentioned caregiving plans.

Her normally sweet-natured dad—a former mailman who experienced too many run-ins with biting dogs—is adamant about wanting nothing to do with her big black Labrador. But as Rachel tends to the escalating physical and emotional needs of each, she notices the striking similarities in their aging processes, and realizes these two souls whom she loves deeply are on the same journey.

With time working against her, Rachel must find a way to transform their uneasy truce into a trusting companionship. In doing so, she hopes to make their shared journey less lonely and frightening—and more bearable for those who must someday let them go.

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