About
Your cell phone rings. You answer to hear the news that a loved one has had a massive stroke or has a terrible disease. After you get over the initial shock, you say to yourself, “What do I do now?”
Welcome to the world of care giving! With 10,000 baby-boomers turning 65 each day according to the U.S. Census Bureau, with longevity extending to over 80 years of age, and with seniors aging less healthfully, you or someone you know are likely already a CareGiver for a grandparent, parent, spouse, relative, or friend. If not now, you will be – soon. The stress associated with being a CareGiver is a silent crisis that will continue to worsen as the shortage of paid and unpaid care givers increases.
In his book, Become a Compassionate CareGiver. Reduce Stress. Avoid Burnout, Richard Anastasi relates how he dealt with the stress of being the CareGiver for his mother as she was dying from primary biliary cirrhosis. He shares proven strategies that make it possible for CareGivers to cope with the stress of care giving. As Anastasi says “the essence of being a CareGiver is to become a compassionate presence and listener. Yes, there are tasks to do, problems to solve, but the attitude you bring to what you do makes all the difference. For at some point, there may be nothing left to do for the person you are caring for. That’s when having learned how to be a compassionate CareGiver will be invaluable.”
Richard Anastasi spent over 25 years in sales, support, and management in the computer software industry. He left the software industry for close to a year to care for his mother who died of liver disease in 2004. Based on that experience, he has launched a business whose mission is to reduce the stress of those responsible for the care of a loved one. (see http://caregiverja.com & http://caregiver-academy.com) Richard has been a hospice volunteer and a care provider for Seniors Helping Seniors. He has an MBA in management from The Wharton School and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Mathematics, magna cum laude, from Boston College. Richard, a native of New York City, currently resides in Irving, TX. He is an amateur musician, composer, and poet as well as a 1/2 marathoner.