Rondng the Circle of Love - Harriet Tramer, Author

Rounding the Circle of Love – Review by Martha A Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

‘When you keep an elder in her home, she receives more personalized care than might otherwise be the case. Her world can be adapted to meet her needs in
ways that might not be possible within an institutionalized setting.
You set the budget, so you can economize whenever possible. And because
it offers these obvious advantages residential care has become a
national trend. Yet, people who attempt making residential care work
for their loved one often find themselves mired in more challenges –
social, medical, financial – than they had ever anticipated. And there
is little margin for error, as any missteps they make could have
disastrous consequences for both them and their elder. They must remain
constantly on the alert.’

After Harriet Tramer’s mother, who was in her 90s, fell and broke her leg, it was decided that after nursing home therapy, she was to come home. This is when Harriet Tramer found out what was really involved with home care of an elder.

Sooner or later, most of us will be faced with the decision of placing our parents, spouse and sometimes even our children in a facility or care
for them at home. In Rounding the Circle of Love, Tramer helps
to make us aware of the problems we’ll most likely face, how to handle
them and hopefully prevent a few now and then. Through her discussion
of medical situations you may be faced with, such as suctioning a tracheotomy
or changing a diaper, helps prepare you for the possible and sometimes
probable. She discusses money, real estate owned by the elder, taxes,
possible Medicaid help, as well as how to apply for financial help.
Tramer discusses how to choose a Home Health Care Agency
if you decide one is needed. But one thing that she really stresses
is… ‘are you really ready, willing and capable of performing this full
time job?’

To help you as a caregiver, Harriet Tramer talks about your own health and welfare. What facilities are available to help you for support and how to find an
Adult Day Care Center that will allow you to take a break now and
then.

There are so many pros and cons to consider when trying to decide to become a caregiver for your loved one. In Rounding the Circle of Love, Harriet Tramer helps to make that decision a little easier by including questionnaires that will help make you aware of what you may be in
store for. She also includes questionnaires that will help you find the
correct and safest facilities when needed. Since we will all be faced
with this at some time in life, this is a book that I feel needs to be
placed in every doctor’s office and given out to all caregivers of the
aging. It really opened my eyes as to what my own children may end up
being faced with as I myself age.