According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, one in eight Americans is elderly, and that number is expected to increase to 19% of the population by 2030. Caring for a parent, grandparent or other loved one is a reality that we will all face at some point and preparing for this stage in life is essential.STEPPING UP: A Companion and Guide for Family Caregivers (Phronesis Press Trade Paperback Original, $18.95, April 2012) is an authoritative new book that every family should own. This guide covers each and every situation that baby-boomers and caregivers face when dealing with their aged family members who are no longer able to manage their own health, finances, and the basic activities of daily living.When co-author Cenetta J. Lee was called upon to care for her two aging aunts and her mother, she spent months researching how best to recognize the signs of a loved one's change in medical, emotional, and cognitive status. She then started trying to determine exactly what steps she needed to take to ensure her family members were compassionately cared for.She was shocked at how scattered and incomplete the available information was considering the fact that so many of her peers were going through the same experience. A librarian by trade, Ms. Lee partnered with Gloria F. Carr, Ph.D., a registered nurse specializing in geriatrics, to create an all-encompassing guide that would help caregivers recognize when it's time to ask questions or intervene on a loved one's behalf as their health begins to deteriorate.The following areas are among those discussed in this indispensable guide: • Recognizing the symptoms of declining health.• Caring effectively for loved ones at home and managing care outside the home.• Locating and supervising care from a distance.• Common diseases and conditions of the elderly—strokes, cancer and dementia.• Services available toward the end-of-life; and tasks after death.• Essential legal documents and other tips, books, online and agency resources.Supplemented with personal and anecdotal stories, STEPPING UP integrates valid research from the medical and healthcare fields such as New England Journal of Medicine, psychosocial care material such as Elisabeth Kübler-Ross' classical works on death and dying, and nationally- known professional associations such as the American Heart Association.STEPPING UP is particularly useful for caregivers because it includes very personal accounts of issues relating to caregiver grief, loss, and burnout. Also, the journal pages included at the end of each chapter provide an outlet for caregivers to record vital information and their emotions as they work through this very difficult process with their loved ones. No family should be without STEPPING UP – an essential guide that educates, informs, and provides a rich knowledge base for future planning for the compassionate care of one's family members.