--- product_id: 151861162 title: "The Gift of Caring: Saving Our Parents―and Ourselves―from the Perils of Modern Healthcare" price: "R732" currency: ZAR in_stock: true reviews_count: 10 url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/151861162-the-gift-of-caring-saving-our-parents-and-ourselves-from store_origin: ZA region: South Africa --- # The Gift of Caring: Saving Our Parents―and Ourselves―from the Perils of Modern Healthcare **Price:** R732 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Gift of Caring: Saving Our Parents―and Ourselves―from the Perils of Modern Healthcare - **How much does it cost?** R732 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/151861162-the-gift-of-caring-saving-our-parents-and-ourselves-from) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description In a powerful blending of memoir and practical strategies from a medical doctor’s perspective, The Gift of Caring: Saving Our Parents – and ourselves - from the Perils of Modern Healthcare reveals the hidden side of modern healthcare practices for aging Americans. This ground-breaking book, co-written by award-winning author Marcy Houle and nationally-recognized geriatrician and public health advocate, Elizabeth Eckstrom MD MPH, sheds new light on aging by showing it from twin perspectives: the story of a daughter desperately seeking help for the parents she loves, and a geriatrician who offers life-changing strategies that can protect our loved ones and ourselves. Today, for many older adults, the medical delivery system is confusing, fragmented, and ill-equipped to provide comprehensive, person-centered care. Under our current healthcare model, thousands of aging persons face unnecessary suffering, hospitalizations and nursing home stays, and even preventable death. Seniors and families often feel powerless as they travel this sad journey. Not having knowledge of aging’s changes, they resign themselves to believing there is nothing anyone can do to help, while some health care professionals simply write off symptoms seniors endure as “just old age.” But as Marcy Houle discovered in caring for her parents, many of the problems often are not “just old age.” Further, the real issue is not that the answers to ease suffering don’t exist. Rather, what we need to know is generally not available to the general public. Even more concerning, many health care professionals have had little or no training in the care of older adults. The Gift of Caring hopes to change that. It is written to give empowerment to all older adults, family members, and health care professionals, by sharing much needed knowledge and practical strategies. The Gift of Caring shows the best ways to advocate for our parent’s health care … and our own … by giving us the tools we need to insist upon the better way. Your parents and you deserve the best healthcare as you age- But there are so many reasons why that’s not happening.You can change that. Review: Do NOT miss this book!! Worth reading for anyone who has contact with Modern Healthcare, regardless of age or circumstance - “If you’ve known one person with Alzheimer’s, you’ve known ONE person with Alzheimer’s!” That’s a saying pretty well known in my community - the Community of Alzheimer’s Caregivers. No two victims of this horrible disease are exactly alike and so, while the symptoms and manifestations of those we care for may be similar to the symptoms of other victims, the order of appearance as well as the reactions to the symptoms may vary greatly between victims AND caregivers alike. But something I’ve definitely learned in my caregiver journey – you can always learn from the experiences, good and bad, of others. “The Gift of Caring” takes you on a journey of caregiving and a bumpy ride it is. You are brought along for the ride while the author describes the struggle to provide the best care, medically and emotionally, to first her Father and then, unfortunately, her Mother. In this way, the book differs little from the stories told by other caregivers. But following each section of a chapter or two or three is a chapter which provides the insight of a noted geriatrics physician. What to look for, helpful hints in treatment and even how to avoid, prevent or at least delay the situation. There are stand-alone books by caregivers and there are stand-alone books by physicians but this is the first book I’ve see where the two sides work in concert to inform the reader. IT WORKS!! Frankly, it is a Home Run. The title implies that it is for the adult offspring of elderly parents and that is much too limiting. The book is worth reading for anyone who has contact with Modern Healthcare, regardless of age or circumstance. I have personally found it much too good to keep to myself and will be purchasing several copies for gifts… starting with my two children. Well worth reading and deserving of every one of those Five Stars!!! Review: 5 Stars aren't enough. A 10 star book! - This is the BEST book I have ever read on taking care of an elderly parent. It was more than I expected because it also alerted to me about how I can improve my own life as I head into the "senior years." Having recently gone through a painful family crisis with my mother's care, this book helped me see that we did indeed save her from a facility that was giving her too much medication and causing her ongoing problems. The book affirmed our decisions and will be a guide for future decisions for her care and our own. Everyone should read this book because even if we aren't responsible for the care of a parent, we ARE all going to reach those years where we need to make decisions. Being aware of what needs to go right and what could go wrong with our care is half the battle. Thank you to Marcy Houle and Dr. Eckstrom for this wonderful, very readable book. If there were 10 stars to give, I would give it 10 stars! ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #182,580 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #159 in Health Care Delivery (Books) #1,041 in Sociology Reference #5,069 in Memoirs (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 146 Reviews | ## Images ![The Gift of Caring: Saving Our Parents―and Ourselves―from the Perils of Modern Healthcare - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61emQkkRrjL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Do NOT miss this book!! Worth reading for anyone who has contact with Modern Healthcare, regardless of age or circumstance *by H***D on May 30, 2016* “If you’ve known one person with Alzheimer’s, you’ve known ONE person with Alzheimer’s!” That’s a saying pretty well known in my community - the Community of Alzheimer’s Caregivers. No two victims of this horrible disease are exactly alike and so, while the symptoms and manifestations of those we care for may be similar to the symptoms of other victims, the order of appearance as well as the reactions to the symptoms may vary greatly between victims AND caregivers alike. But something I’ve definitely learned in my caregiver journey – you can always learn from the experiences, good and bad, of others. “The Gift of Caring” takes you on a journey of caregiving and a bumpy ride it is. You are brought along for the ride while the author describes the struggle to provide the best care, medically and emotionally, to first her Father and then, unfortunately, her Mother. In this way, the book differs little from the stories told by other caregivers. But following each section of a chapter or two or three is a chapter which provides the insight of a noted geriatrics physician. What to look for, helpful hints in treatment and even how to avoid, prevent or at least delay the situation. There are stand-alone books by caregivers and there are stand-alone books by physicians but this is the first book I’ve see where the two sides work in concert to inform the reader. IT WORKS!! Frankly, it is a Home Run. The title implies that it is for the adult offspring of elderly parents and that is much too limiting. The book is worth reading for anyone who has contact with Modern Healthcare, regardless of age or circumstance. I have personally found it much too good to keep to myself and will be purchasing several copies for gifts… starting with my two children. Well worth reading and deserving of every one of those Five Stars!!! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars aren't enough. A 10 star book! *by J***N on April 13, 2016* This is the BEST book I have ever read on taking care of an elderly parent. It was more than I expected because it also alerted to me about how I can improve my own life as I head into the "senior years." Having recently gone through a painful family crisis with my mother's care, this book helped me see that we did indeed save her from a facility that was giving her too much medication and causing her ongoing problems. The book affirmed our decisions and will be a guide for future decisions for her care and our own. Everyone should read this book because even if we aren't responsible for the care of a parent, we ARE all going to reach those years where we need to make decisions. Being aware of what needs to go right and what could go wrong with our care is half the battle. Thank you to Marcy Houle and Dr. Eckstrom for this wonderful, very readable book. If there were 10 stars to give, I would give it 10 stars! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The best of many I have read on aging parents. A wonderful read full of great information. *by S***S on November 8, 2015* This book is well written, informative, interesting and extremely useful if you have an aging parent. After I read it I bought 3 more to share with my siblings and have told all my friends about it whose parents are elderly. It is an interesting and easy read. I have bought several other books on the subject since dealing with my 90 year old mothers health and mental decline - looking for help and answers. I only skimmed them all until I stumbled across this great little book. I read it cover to cover. Yes some sections were sad and hard to get through because of the emotions, but I am so grateful for having found this book. Thank you Marcy Cottrell for sharing your story and insight. I am forever grateful. ## Frequently Bought Together - The Gift of Caring: Saving Our Parents―and Ourselves―from the Perils of Modern Healthcare - The Gift of Aging --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/151861162-the-gift-of-caring-saving-our-parents-and-ourselves-from](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/151861162-the-gift-of-caring-saving-our-parents-and-ourselves-from) --- *Product available on Desertcart South Africa* *Store origin: ZA* *Last updated: 2026-11-10*