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Thursday, March 5, 2015

Confessions of an Imperfect Caregiver by Bobbi Caducci


First, allow me introduce you to the fabulous Author Bobbi Carducci!

Here is her author bio:

Bobbi Carducci is a former senior staff writer for the Purcellville Gazette, a small Washington, D.C. area newspaper. Her short stories appear in the Chicken Soup for the Soul and Cup of Comfort Anthologies as well is in print and online magazines.

Bobbi’s book for young readers, Storee Wryter Gets a Dog, received both a Mom’s Choice Award for and a Living Now Award for Excellence. It was also named A Best Dog Book for Young Readers by Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer.

For three years she wrote a monthly book review column for About Families Publications before resigning to concentrate on writing Confessions of an Imperfect Caregiver and her blog, The Imperfect Caregiver. Bobbi also writes monthly posts on caregiving for AgingCare.com and The Caregiver Space.

Bobbi serves on the Board of Directors of Pennwriters, a national writers group with over 400 members, a position she had held for eleven years. In 2014 she received the Pennwriters Meritorious Service Award in recognition of her continuing support of the organization. She was the luncheon keynote speaker at the Pennwriters Annual Conference in 2013. She serves as a judge for the annual Benjamin Franklin Book Awards.

In her capacity as Founder and Executive Director of the Young Voices Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) educational nonprofit established to mentor young writers, she created he Young Voices Awards honoring books that Inspire, Mentor and/or Educate Readers of all ages.
www.youngvoicesfoundation.org and www.youngvoicesawards.com

PERSONAL INFORMATION:
Bobbi Carducci lives in Round Hill, Virginia with her husband, Michael. When not writing, Bobbi enjoys the company of her family and friends, frequently inviting them to join her for a glass of wine and storytelling on the deck of her home overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. 
You may contact her directly via email at bcarducci@comcast.net

Bobbi Carducci's website: 
Barnes & Noble:

Links to where book is sold



Book blurb:

What happens when you are called upon to care for an elderly family member or friend, and you have
no idea how to do it? Caring for a loved one can be a scary, exhausting and rewarding situation—and with an aging baby-boom population, it’s one that an increasing number of Americans find themselves facing.
Confessions of an Imperfect Caregiver, a new book by Bobbi Carducci, is an honest, uplifting account of the author’s experiences in caring for her father-in-law, who suffered from schizophrenia, age-related dementia, and a host of other health issues.

Bobbi Carducci was an in-home caregiver for her father-in-law, Rodger, for seven years. During that time, Carducci learned to navigate the health care system and support Rodger through the challenges of schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, age-related dementia, dysphagia, C.O.P.D., and congestive heart failure. By sharing her experiences, she hopes to help those now caring for loved ones at home.


SNIPPET
After donning gown and gloves to enter his isolation room, I took a moment to take a deep breath and put a smile on my face. I didn’t want him to see my concern. He was far too fragile to take even a mild pneumonia lightly.
My expression turned to one of shock and anger when I saw him. He greeted us with a rare smile, seemingly unaware of how terrible he looked. His face and neck were covered with little cuts, and blood was seeping from most of them. There was even a cut on the tip of his nose.
“What happened to you?” I demanded. I was shaking with anger.
“Nothing happened to me. I want to go home. Did you come to take me home?”
“You have to stay a few more days. You have a fever,” Mike explained.
“Look at this,” I said, my fury mounting by the second.
“Why is she so mad?” Rodger asked Mike.
“This is why.” I pointed to the razor sitting on the tray alongside leftovers from his breakfast. “Look, there’s blood on the blades. And look at what they gave him for breakfast. Orange juice, toast, scrambled eggs, and fried potatoes.” After spotting a large Styrofoam cup of ice water with a straw sticking out of it, I turned and stormed out of the room, gown and gloves still on.


REVIEW!!
I was a bit nervous starting this book as I was a caretaker for my mother-in-law for a short amount of time and it was very trying. I was worried about this book bringing up some of the frustrations, hurt, and pain. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book was fascinating and even through the rought times Bobbi made it so real to life that you could feel the frustration, the amusement, the tears, the laughter, and the overall love that went into not only her work as a caretaker, but also into her writing this story! It was so intriguing that I didn't want to put it down. I read the entire thing so fast and I loved it. It did bring up memories, but mostly of the good despite the struggles. Bobbi;a approach is very real life, down to earth, and yet easy to read and captivating! I loved this book and would not hesitate to recommend it. I don't think people know what all care-takers deal with on a regular basis. But even so, this book with amuse and move you! It is a very special book!




Book Tour Schedule:

March 4
March 5
http://rebeccalamoreaux-anauthorinprogress.blogspot.com/
March 6
March 7
March 8
March 9
March 10

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