The Comfort of Home, Multiple Sclerosis Edition; An Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide for Multiple Sclerosis Caregivers
By Maria M Meyer and Paula Derr, in association with Kimberly Koch and Diane Afes from the US National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Published June 2006, Care Trust Publications LLC, Portland, Oregon USA. 326 pages, $24.95, ISBN 13: 978-0-9664767-6-7
With this book in hand, readers will understand the day-to-day issues confronted by caregivers of people with MS. The book guides readers through every caregiving stage from making the decision to provide home care, to preparing the home for comfort and safety, and from assisting with activities of daily living, to avoiding caregiver burnout.
Other important topics covered include financial management, purchasing equipment, travel, therapies, and much more. The chapters are filled with special notes and tips that alert people with MS and caregivers to important issues that make life easier for all concerned.
The book is divided into three parts. In a simple and logical style, the authors cover every aspect of specific issues and practical tips to answer questions about caregiving. Where needed, pictures clarify actions. At the end of each chapter, there are numerous sources to contact for further support ' however one drawback of the book is that these are all American.
Part one, 'Getting Ready', describes the process of deciding what kind of care the person with MS needs; medical care, personal care, homemaking or companionship, and which sources of help are needed to provide this home care.
Part two, 'Day-by-Day', describes every aspect of daily care. It also describes how a plan of care can be used for activities of daily living.
Part three, 'Additional Resources', provides the caregiver with medical terms and abbreviations used by professionals.
The book is a useful source of help for caregivers of people with MS. It is complete, clear and provides realistic goals for caregiving.
Reviewed by Kitty Harrison, MS nurse, MANP, RN, MSCN, The Netherlands
The Young Person’s Guide to MS
By Kerry Mutch, MS specialist nurse.
Published by the UK MS Trust, 2006.
Available to download or to order free from www.mstrust.org.uk (publications page).
'The Young Person’s Guide to MS,' written by UK MS specialist nurse Kerry Mutch, surprised me very pleasantly with its contemporary design and its compact, well-structured topics.
The booklet has two sections. The first part is about 'your questions answered' - many of the problems and fears a child with MS in his or her family could have. The second part, 'MS affects me', is about possible problems in everyday life and coping with them. There is a short overview of MS in the booklet, where symptoms and treatments are described. Importantly, it shows how MS may affect young people whose parents have MS ' emotional problems, changed social life, financial issues - and most important of all, how to cope with it.
Reading the booklet is easy because of the simple way MS is explained and also the real experiences told by children whose parents are affected with MS. Some of my personal favourites were the use of colour diagrams in the beginning and middle of each paragraph. I also enjoyed the poem written by 11-year-old Danny which decribes his feelings really well and may be taken as a good example of 'letting the steam out'. As a clinical psychologist I would recommend this booklet to everyone who has to cope with MS in their family.
Reviewed by Liina Vahter, MSc, Clinical Psychologist, Estonian Multiple Sclerosis Centre, West-Tallinn Central Hospital, Tallinn, Estonia
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