I’m going to give away my age ( and that of Amanda - sorry Amanda!) when I say that Amanda Waring first came to my attention in 1985 as the girlfriend of ‘Tucker’ Jenkins in Tucker’s Luck. I was in awe of Amanda as I had rather a soft spot for Todd Carty having been following him through his school days as Tucker in Grange Hill.
Fast track (about 30 years) and I was thrilled to be asked by Amanda to review her book ‘The Heart of Care: Dignity in Action’.
I had come across Amanda previously, when my manager showed me her film ‘What do you see?’ with Virginia McKenna, I have to admit to not realising quite who she was at the time, but her film really struck me as a very powerful training tool. It was around this time that I had become interested in making a change in dementia care and was learning all that I could.
Amanda was already a renowned campaigner for improving Elder care, and it was this side to her life that attracted me to her at this time. The Heart of Care, in which Amanda inspires true person-centred care was listed as our book of the month, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it at the time and it remains within reach of my desk as it is one of those books that can be picked up time and time again for inspiration and reference.
So as a firm admirer of Amanda, both as an actress and campaigner, I felt really honoured to be asked to contribute to her latest publication; ‘The Carer’s Bible’. Offering advice and insights regarding activities and general care/support of individuals living with dementia. I leaped at the chance and am so pleased that I did. This book is another of those 'must-haves'. It follows a similar style to The Heart of Care and can be easily dipped in and out of. Other contributions (from professionals and those with personal experience) are woven into the flow of book, making the tips easy to read and digest.
Des Kelly OBE writes an insightful Foreword which recognises all that Amanda has achieved, including high praise for her writing style.
The book is aimed at carers everywhere, whether working as a professional carer or caring for a loved one, this book will be an inspiring handbook.
The Carer’s Bible offers advice for basic dignified care and covers an array of subjects such as creativity and activity, spiritual needs and dementia care. Amanda also covers more delicate subjects such as avoiding burnout and End of Life Care. This is a book that will serve time and again for inspiration and reference, it will be invaluable to anyone who cares for an elderly person.
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