about the book

May 9, 2023
Review by Brigitte Pellerin
www.brigittepellerin.com
https://substack.com/profile/2717730-brigitte-pellerin/note/c-15727211?utm_source=notes-share-action

“There’s never a good time to talk about long-term care. That’s one reason most of us prefer to avoid the subject altogether. But it has a way of forcing itself into the conversation at the least opportune moment …

I was recently given the opportunity to peruse Lise Cloutier-Steele’s revised edition of There’s No Place Like Home, a personal narrative that’s beautiful and touching on its own, but one that the author decided to turn into a comprehensive and real-life guide for caregivers looking for a way to get long-term care right for their loved ones.

The book is clear and concise. The guidance is comprehensive but doesn’t feel any longer than it has to be. It can’t have been easy to write so well about such a personal, powerful and no doubt emotionally difficult topic.

Most of you won’t need this kind of guide just now, but some of you will. If that’s you, find more information here: www.ottawacaregiver.com.”

Mx Brigitte Pellerin [they, them, iel], is an author, editor and a columnist with the Ottawa Citizen. Their latest book is Le livre Uber (L’Interligne, 2021).

In the 2023 revised edition of There’s No Place Like Home – A guide to help caregivers manage the long-term care experience, Lise Cloutier-Steele writes about the conditions in care facilities. She shares her experience as her late father’s guardian and advocate, while he resided in a long-term care facility for a period of over three years. The book moves from personal stories to practical and helpful information for caregivers with a loved one in care.

Overview of the book

There’s No Place Like Home features a foreword by Barbara A. Yeats, M.D. CCFP, FCFP, and contributions from caregivers and experts throughout the book.

Preface

Chapter 1
Living the long-term care reality: From a caregiver’s point of view

Chapter 2
Nursing home essentials: What to look for in a good care home

Chapter 3
The impact of COVID on the long-term care sector

Chapter 4
Room for improvements in long-term care and in-home care

Chapter 5
Complaining: It’s a process and a half

Chapter 6
Where to go to complain, and what to expect as a response

Chapter 7
Burnout: It can happen to caregivers, too
Tips on how to take care of Number 1

Chapter 8
Provisions and changes you can make at home to ensure aging in place

Chapter 9
Long-term care and health care staffing issues in other parts of the world

Conclusion

Helpful Resources

Acknowledgements

There’s No Place Like Home: A guide to help caregivers manage the long-term care experience is now available in digital and print formats and the method of payment is PayPal for either one.

The book’s objective is two-fold. While it was primarily intended to support and inform caregivers about the long-term care experience, it is also a fundraiser as all proceeds from book sales are being used to buy quilts for residents in care without family or friends.

Thank you for your support of this project

Buy a printed copy of the book
or the digital PDF now available in Accessible View

“Honest and tastefully done.”

Elizabeth Flood

health care aide, retired

“This is the book I wish our family had when my mother was admitted to a long-term care facility.”

Gay Kerr

public servant, retired

“Interesting and informative. Readers can gain some insight for themselves and family members for when the time comes to make choices about housing and care.”

Pearle Williamson

social worker, retired, Maine, U.S.A.

“A topic bravely tackled by Lise Cloutier-Steele. Filled with heartfelt honesty.

There’s No Place Like Home exposes the deficiencies in our current long-term care facilities that plead for reformation, both physical and psychological.”

Sandra Keller, PhD
Author of  Should I Be Sad Without a Dad?