Caregiving in America

When a phone call changes everything, Caregiving in America becomes the guide families need.

Lance A. Slatton delivers a comprehensive, practical resource for the millions of people who become caregivers unexpectedly. Drawing from his own family caregiving journey and years of advocacy, he explains why caregiving often begins without warning, how it reshapes daily life, and why so many families feel unprepared for a responsibility that can last weeks, years, or longer.

This book helps readers understand the realities of caregiving in modern America, where family caregivers have become the hidden workforce supporting the healthcare system. It offers grounded, compassionate guidance for the challenges that matter most:

• navigating the healthcare system and asking the right questions
• recognizing burnout, compassion fatigue, stress, and caregiver mental health needs
• understanding the financial realities of caregiving
• supporting loved ones living with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, disability, or chronic illness
• handling legal planning, decision-making, and protection for the care recipient
• becoming a more effective advocate within medical and care settings
• processing transitions, grief, loss, and life after caregiving

Designed to be used as both a reference and a workbook, Caregiving in America includes national and state-by-state resource directories, worksheets, checklists, assessments, planning tools, and an expanded glossary. Readers can move chapter by chapter or turn directly to the section that fits their current needs.

Written for spouses, adult children, friends, neighbors, and anyone suddenly responsible for someone else’s well-being, this book is honest without being overwhelming and practical without losing its human focus. It helps caregivers feel more informed, more prepared, and less alone.