Actress Amanda Waring To Launch New Book, 'The Heart Of Care' In Chichester

Reviewed as a much needed and long awaited guide to compassionate person-centered elder care, Amanda will be celebrating the publication of her new book The Heart of Care by Souvenir Press, a continuation of her work to raise awareness and educate others within this necessary area of understanding.

Following on from her award winning film ‘What Do You See?’ starring Virginia McKenna as a stroke victim, the book combines powerful anecdote, practical advice and role model exercises to help inspire, teach and motivate carers, relatives and caring professionals alike in a society that’s found to be in need of greater emotional intelligence with caring for our elders.

Experiencing firsthand how a lack of dignified care could have such a devastating effect on an individual, losing her own mother a few years ago compelled Amanda to want to make a difference.  After being diagnosed with leukaemia at the age of 70 Amanda’s mother, the well-known English actress Dame Dorothy Tutin required care and treatment as her condition worsened.  The journey of finding the right care for her mother was not without its heartache however, as Amanda witnessed with her own eyes how a lack of dignified care had such a devastating effect on her mother’s mind, body and spirit.  After fighting for a better solution, Amanda managed to arrange for her mother to be transferred to another hospital, where she felt she would be treated with respect. 

‘My mother needed to be treated as the person she was inside and not seen as a series of symptoms’ commented Amanda. ‘And it was the right decision to move her. The staff in the next hospital were friendly and communicative and Mama’s spirits rose, which helped her to face the gruelling treatment that lay ahead.’ 

Haunted by the memory of the undignified care that her mother and so many older people endure, Amanda acted and discovered a way to change attitudes, starting a crusade to ensure that older people were treated with kindness and compassion and to demonstrate the effect of thoughtless and sometimes abusive behaviours. 

Having spoken at conferences around the world and through the media since, as well as launching the Governments Dignity Council, which now has an incredible 38,000 members nationwide, Amanda’s respect and knowledge within the field of compassionate care is second to none. With her films and materials endorsed by the Royal College of Nursing, care homes, hospitals and domiciliaries, the publication of the book is already greatly welcomed.

‘I am on a mission with this book, to celebrate those aspects of care that are truly working, namely focussing on the experience and quality of life of those you care for.’ Amanda explained. ‘Through it I also share innovative ways to support relatives and friends when the going gets tough as I know so well the challenges of caring for a loved one until the end of life. I know what that is like. With an ageing population this country needs to support, value and inspire caring professionals to give the best care that we can. I will never stop trying to inspire caring professionals with the humanity they need to show to support the emotional and spiritual needs of our elders, on how to care with love and dignity’.

Further details about the launch and book signing can be obtained through contacting the Chichester store or by contacting kylee@mindseyemanagement.com.

The Heart of Care for Souvenir Press is priced at £15.00 and is available through all good book shops (including online retailers).

 Amanda’s Films can be purchased through her website www.amandawaring.com and extracts can be seen on her YouTube channel Amanda Waring Films.