The Real Road Home

Some books are simply stories. Others stay with you long after you have turned the final page. This book belongs firmly in the second category. Written from the deeply personal experience of being surrounded by family members facing cancer and dementia, it is an honest, raw and incredibly moving account of what it means to spend years caring for the people you love while trying to somehow hold your own life together. What struck me most was how much can go wrong at the same time — and how little space there is for the person who is doing the caring. We talk endlessly about patients, treatments, hospitals and diagnoses, but there is surprisingly little support for the carers who are navigating all of this alongside them. They are expected to be strong, practical, available and endlessly resilient, often while quietly falling apart themselves. A deeply honest and important read — particularly for anyone who has ever been a carer, loved a carer, or simply wondered what happens to the person standing beside the patient.

Amazing read. It felt like I was going through all the emotions alongside the writer. How life throws us curve balls and completely disrupt life as we know it. I’m sure this will help so many people when experiencing similar situations. Hope all is well with you both x

Highly recommended reading for anyone who is currently in a caring role or may find themselves in one in the future. The author experienced the successive illnesses of several close family members and writes candidly about both the emotional and physical demands of caregiving, as well as the many challenges that come with it. I found the author’s letter to her mother, who had dementia, particularly poignant. It provided a powerful way for her to express and release her emotions. Throughout the book, she also shares numerous practical tips on self-compassion and self-care. One of the book’s greatest strengths is its honesty. I finished it with a reassuring sense that feelings of inadequacy, guilt, frustration and exhaustion are normal experiences for many carers. It is both a compassionate and insightful guide for anyone navigating the complexities of caring for a loved one.

This is a compelling story of a young woman suddenly and without warning thrown into the role of family carer. With no experience of caring and finding little or no assistance or advice available from any official body it was a minefield.. Firstly with a husband's aggressive cancer then a Mother with increasing dementia, Kim struggled to cope. As time went on with no respite she began a destructive downward spiral into despair and self doubt and finally began to question her own sanity. Fortunately, out of the blue she discovered a group of people similarly affected and with their help found ways of restoring her own health and was even able to start helping other people. Today, Kim is a life coach and is in the forefront of helping people to cope with family problems. Family carers should not feel alone, neglected and short of advice. The Real Road Home is a must read for them as it addresses all of those subjects.