Who cares The hidden crisis of caregiving, and how we solve it

Social policy scholar Kenway (The Truth About Modern Slavery) makes an impassioned plea on behalf of the countless unpaid caregivers, mostly women, who take care of the world's sick, elderly, and disabled. Focusing primarily on the U.K. and the U.S., Kenway reveals how declining rates of institutionalization, coupled with more women joining the workforce while still being culturally obligated to provide care to relatives at home, has created a gap that cannot be closed by government services or vouchers for professional caregivers. Though various "caretech" innovations--including PARO, a "carebot" designed to look and act like a docile seal pup that has been shown to "reduce stress, anxiety, and the use of antipsychotics among older people with dementia"--offer some hope, Kenway raises data privacy concerns and warns about the potential "dehumanization" of the elderly and infirm. Ultimately, she advocates for "kinning" or "the ongoing creation of family beyond conventional bounds," to provide support for the impaired and their caregivers, highlighting as an example the "women's circle" she set up while caring for her terminally ill mother. Kenway's frank discussions of "caregiver stress syndrome" and the "social stigma and exclusion" caregivers experience are eye-opening, and her calls for moving to a more community-based model are persuasive. It's a resounding call to action. (May)

Opening with a moving but brutally honest testament to her mother's last days, this book offers deep witness to end-of-life caregiving. Activist Kenway (The Truth About Modern Slavery) describes her own and others' lived caregiving experiences and explores the larger social ramifications. She duly notes that care of older loved ones will become the new childcare but with fewer younger people left to assume that role. Rather than continue to deny this inevitability, this book offers courage to face this future with a more open mind and meaningful preparations. This broad-minded approach acknowledges the stigma current caregivers suffer from, along with their exhaustion, isolation, and lack of support. Changing the status quo involves realizing that caregiving affects everyone, that it is not easily routinized or monetized, and that illness and consequent support is erratic and unpredictable. Invoking concepts of "kinning" (revising what family means) and "commoning" (sharing collective responsibilities), the author proposes a model that encompasses flexibility, fluidity, and choices for both the terminally ill and those who provide care for them. VERDICT Highly recommended for all library collections.--Karen Bordonaro