Next of Kin by Casey Beros

127

What to Expect When You’re Expecting to Care for Someone You Love

Next of Kin is a practical guide to navigating the complicated world of care.

Having walked a very similar path to that of Casey Beros, I can say that every word written by her in Next of Kin is the pathway that is followed by everyone who is caring or assisting in caring for a loved one in the final days, weeks, months or years of their life.

Next of Kin was written with a genuine desire to help others facing the daunting task of caring for a loved one, often being plunged rapidly into the deep end of the Health Care system, finding themselves lost, confused and struggling.

Living on the other side of Australia, she was devastated upon receiving the news her beloved father had Mesothelioma, or Asbestoses, with a life expectancy of months to possibly a year.

Relocating to Western Australia she took on his care and even though she was a respected Health Industry journalist, she discovered what she thought and was a reality when dealing with the Health Care Industry was poles apart and a seriously challenging undertaking.

Over the time she spent with her father she accessed a wide range of Government based departments, support and voluntary groups slowly discovering a pathway through the endless and frequently confusing information, all of which she shares in this elegantly written tribute to her father and the many people who helped her along her chosen pathway.

Containing invaluable information for those in, about to take up the role of caregiver or simply needing to understand the inevitable end of life requirements, such as legal aspects, choices and so much more Next of Kin is a glowing beacon of love, kindness, understanding and fact in the wilderness of emotional turmoil.

There is Resources section at the end of the book which is invaluable followed by a References Section for further reading on any of the information shared in the book. Next of Kin is the book everyone wished they had and is the book everyone should have, when caring for a loved one in any health care crisis.

Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley