Books & Publications

This book was very informative without being overwhelming.

I have been a caregiver for several people in my family and am still in a caregiving role. I related to the different stories woven throughout and found it therapeutic. There is nothing better than feeling like someone truly understands how you feel. I can understand the many frustrating scenarios these caregivers had to go through as some were similar to my own.

I appreciated the tips and resources that were given. This would be a valuable resource for anyone dealing with a family or friend that needs help due to illness or a disability.

- Evelyn - Goodreads Review

This is the best book I have read so far on Caregiving. It provides tools and language to help those with caregiving roles communicate more effectively with medical staff, and to find necessary resources. It also provides a framework for understanding the coping skills necessary to care for someone close to you, particularly when the role is unexpected.

Highly recommended for anyone who finds themselves in the position of being "an accidental caregiver.

- Educator, NetGalley Review

In the first pages of Kimberly Fraser’s THE ACCIDENTAL CAREGIVER, the point is made that everyone will ultimately play a role in caregiving, whether as a giver or receiver.

I read this incredibly compassionate, authoritative, and wise guide with gratitude for the many examples, wise observations, and practical support for what can be an isolating, soul-sucking, horrible time. Her points are based on deep experience and common-sense solutions, and throughout the read, I considered my own experiences in caregiving past, present, and future and how difficult it can be to accomplish the smallest of tasks with the bare minimum attention and support offered by our society and organizations.

This is a life-essential read for all of us. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

- Louise F - NetGalley Review

Finding books about family Caregiving is hard to come by. Dr. Kimberly Fraser has written a comprehensive book about Caregiving today - the hardships caregivers face, shortcomings of the home health system as it is now, what programs and organizations are available, and stories from Caregivers with loved ones suffering various terminal illnesses from Dementia, MS, to Parkinsons.

Topics like Home Health, Respite, and Caregiver Self-Care, as well as guides and lists of resources, make this a must-have read for Caregivers today trying to navigate their way.

I appreciated the section where she addressed things people say to Caregivers that are good-intentioned but harmful, such as "remember to take care of yourself too" at parting. She offers other phrases and actions support people could offer instead of throw-away statements.

There is a 'Glossary of Terms Used' at the end of the book that is helpful for someone unfamiliar with family Caregiving.

I will be recommending this book to other Caregivers and family members of my own. Many thanks to Dr. Fraser for writing it.

- Bobby Jo G - NetGalley Review

An excellent book to read if you are a caretaker or think that might be in your future. The author tells about her experience as a nurse, and director of a caregiving organization, helping her mother care for her Dad (who developed MS), and her husband (who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.

Keep in mind she lives in Canada and the financial aspect is totally different than in the US (where I am). Lots of helpful advice as she interviews care-givers, what they needed and didn't get, what they needed and had no idea it was available, etc.

Even though I am no longer a caregiver, I certainly can recommend this book (my Mom had MS for 50 years and really didn't receive any assistance until the last few years as my parents self-paid for almost everything the first 40 years). I also dealt with my husband's 22-month fight against esophageal cancer and later had my widowed Father living with me for almost a year when he turned 100 yrs old.

- NetGalley Reviewer

The Accidental Caregiver is a thoughtful and engaging guide for anyone who finds themselves caring for a loved one at home. Dr. Fraser is passionate about her decades of work with family caregivers, and her personal experiences add both authenticity and credibility to her writing.

The families she introduces in the book are relatable and interesting and their stories are informative. The narrative aspect of the book is an effective way to illustrate the themes and bring the challenges to life. The author strikes an important balance between acknowledging the difficulties of caregiving and the burden many caregivers feel, while offering suggestions for realistic self-care and celebrating the incredible contribution they’re making to their family and community.

In addition to the stories, Dr. Fraser also shares very practical tips and advice throughout the book. Each chapter contains one or more breakout boxes that provide more detail on topics such as Finding support in your community, Using the right language to get action, Helpful record keeping, and so on.

This book would make a thoughtful gift to anyone in a family caregiving role. It would also be helpful for their extended family and friends, to help them understand the challenges faced by caregivers. As Dr. Fraser says, “It’s essential for caregivers and the family member or friend they are caring for to feel like they are part of a community.”

- Jennifer Wilson - Amazon.ca

The Accidental Caregiver made me stop and think about some things I do in my daily job as a Home Care Nurse.

It’s so easy to get caught up with the task at hand and forget that your client/patient/resident has more going on than just the task at hand. It is not only about the client but also their caregiver and family.

In my own experience, I have seen the nursing side of caregiving and also experienced it myself with my daughter, not just from a parenting side of things. It can be so hard to navigate the health system and I can’t imagine navigating it with no health field experience.

While I appreciate Kimberly’s honesty and everything she said, I also felt a little sensitive to the negative comments about Home Care. It sounded as if Home Care nurses can’t be bothered with helping the caregiver or withholding information. At the end of the day it comes down to how the government wants these programs run. Believe me, if it were up to nurses the Home Care program would have 110% different way of doing things. It breaks our hearts when we know the caregiver and client need more help but our hands are tied.

If you work in health care, are a caregiver yourself or one day likely become one, then I suggest reading this book as it does have some valuable information. I also think it gives caregivers a sense that it isn’t just them having these issues or feelings.

I find rating books like this can be hard. You can’t give someone a star rating on how their
personal experiences were.

- Heather S. (NetGalley)

Important book for anyone teaching medical ethics or narrative medicine or writing about medical issues.

A brave and insightful study of caregiving which looks deeply at crucial issues.

- Nicole C.(NetGalley)

This is mostly a collection of stories from other caregivers. But as a person helping to provide support to a loved one, I found it nice to know there are others out there with the same struggles and grief.

Great insight if you find yourself at the beginning of a caregiver journey.

- Terri B.(NetGalley)

“The Accidental Caregiver” by Kimberly Fraser is an honest and unflinching look at the realities of being a family caregiver. I was interested in reading this book for two reasons. First, I am a physically disabled adult who relies on my family for caregiving and I wanted to see how the author portrayed the care recipient.

Second, my parents were recently thrown into caregiving for my grandmother with Alzheimer’s and I felt like this book might be a good resource for them. Overall I am impressed with the variety of topics discussed by the author. While some of the vignettes were repeated across chapters I think they helped reinforce the concepts and ideas presented. They helped make it “real” for the reader. I also appreciated that the author provided concrete strategies for caregivers to utilize throughout their journey. There are also policy suggestions included in many chapters which, as someone interested in advocacy I appreciated and thought was cool.

I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who is interested in learning more about the family caregiving experience. I’d also recommend it for caregivers as it helps validate their experiences and there are practical things that they can take from each chapter. The only confusing part is the author is based in Canada so some of the terms and health coverage descriptions will be different for those in the United States.

- Rebecca P. (NetGalley)