Beth Witrogen McLeod, ed. And Thou Shalt Honor: A Caregiver's Companion. (Emmaus, PA: Rodale. 2002. 445 pages.)

Price: $17.47 from Amazon.com -- click on book to order

More than 54 million American families are involved in the care of loved ones who are elderly or ill. And given today's demographic trends, every family faces the prospect of being in a caregiving situation someday.

This companion book to the PBS special of the same name offers a storehouse of practical advice and resources for those who are now or soon will be caregivers. Featuring a foreword by Rosalynn Carter, the volume gives caregivers tools for coping with both the practical and emotional challenges of caregiving, from how to hold a family meeting to defending against bed sores; from managing anger to assessing a loved one's financial situation.

Particularly useful are the book's plentiful Caregiving Checklists, which include:

• "Does Your Loved One Require Care?"
• "How Are You Coping?"
• "Which Home Care Provider Should You Choose?"
• "Should Your Parent Move in With You?"
• "Is Your Loved One a Hazard Behind the Wheel?"
• and

   

• "Is Your Loved One's Doctor Good Enough?"

To us, the only evident shortcoming of And Thou Shalt Honor is that its authors apparently had not yet discovered the ElderLawAnswers Web site as a source for elder law attorneys and basic elder law information. If they had, we're certain they would have included it in their otherwise impressive compendium of resources and wise counsel for caregivers.