Caresharing

Marty Richards, a clinical social worker, is an affiliate assistant professor at the University of Washington School of Social Work.

Prelude xi

1 THE DANCE OF SHARING CARE 1
An Invitation to Share Care 1
A New Vision for Sharing Care 2
The Basic Steps of the Caresharing Dance 7
Expanding the Caresharing Network 13
The Body/Mind/Spirit Connection 21
When Things Get Complicated 30

2 SHARING WISDOM: WHAT THE FRAIL TEACH THE WELL 37
Inner Wisdom 37
Clearing the Way 39
Putting Yourself in the Role of a Learner 42
Gaining New Understanding from Stories 51
Receiving Spiritual Strength 54

3 FAMILIES SHARING THE CARE: REINVENTING THE ROLES AND RULES 58
Family Systems 58
Family Roles 60
Family Rules 72
Family Secrets 78

4 SHARING "SOUL TO SOUL": A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH PEOPLE WITH COGNITIVE LIMITS 83
Facing Difficult Challenges 83
Understanding the Stages of Dementia 84
Building Effective Communication 93
Keeping the Spirit Alive 100
Dealing with Difficult Behaviors 105
Connecting Soul to Soul 107

5 SHARING GRIEF: COPING WITH THE “LARGE” AND THE “LITTLE” LOSSES 118
The Presence of Grief 118
Facing Transitions 119
Facing Losses 120
Dimensions of Grief 127
Grief Responses 138
Coping with Grief 141
Spiritual Dimensions of Grief 147

6 SHARING FORGIVENESS: A KEY SPIRITUAL JOURNEY IN CARESHARING 155
The Importance of Forgiveness 155
The Nature of Forgiveness 158
The Barriers to Forgiveness 160
Relationship Matters 165
Daily Matters 168
Where to Start 172
Spiritual Dimensions of Forgiveness 180
Reconciliation 183

7 SHARING HOPE: AN ACTIVE PROCESS ONE STEP AT A TIME 188
The Importance of Hope in Caresharing 188
Definitions of Hope 190
Four Key Aspects of Hope 193
Keeping Hope Alive 200
An Action Plan for Building on Hope 206

Postlude 223
Suggestions for Further Reading 225
Acknowledgments 227