Library News

January 2011

Well, winter is sure here! It’s -21C this morning, as I finish this column. The library committee continues to be busy, meeting in December to complete the 2010-11 book order. We have also begun to input information about the library books into the Library Catalogue database It is a slow process since there is little information about many of the titles and decisions must be taken with each book , but we are excited to finally get at it!

Book Review

This month the book I have chosen to review was of interest to me because my husband and I are providing support for his elderly parents and find it quite a challenge from time to time. It also seemed appropriate to highlight it after hearing some of the discussion in November workshop End of Life Issues that I attended which was conducted by Rev. Millie Rochester.

Green Tracy, and Todd Temple. 52 Ways to Show Aging Parents You Care. Oliver Nelson: Nashville, TN: 1992.

Shelf Number: 646 TE WA

As I alluded to at the beginning, family is on my mind a lot these days as my husband I try to provide support to his parents as they adjust to being separated, to her dementia, to grieving the changes, etc. This book offered some ideas for families to help their parents through various stages of aging. Many of them are common sense and we just need a reminder such as listening and being there for them even though they may not be coherent or able to talk. Touch is important. Others, I found intriguing, for example write a poem about how much you love them – template provided, celebrate holidays such as Valentines Day, give a guest book to a parent in a nursing home so they can read and enjoy it later. Also, try to have that talk about issues that are separating you or have caused distance to develop between you. I found this to be a very practical book with many useful ideas.

Keep warm and read a good book or two from our library,

Marilyn Brooke

Chair, Library Committee