Book Description
More than four million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's, and as many as twenty million have close relatives or friends with the disease.Revolutionizing the way we perceive and live with Alzheimer's, Joanne Koenig Coste offers a practical approach to the emotional well-being of both patients and caregivers that emphasizes relating to patients in their own reality.Her accessible and comprehensive method, which she calls habilitation, works to enhance communication between carepartners and patients and has proven successful with thousands of people living with dementia.Learning to Speak Alzheimer's also offers hundreds of practical tips, including how to cope with the diagnosis and adjust to the disease's progression help the patient talk about the illness face the issue of driving make meals and bath times as pleasant as possible adjust room design for the patient's comfort deal with wandering, paranoia, and aggression ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

A Wonderful Resource
This book is a wonderful resource for anyone struggling with a friend or family member with Alzheimer's or for a professional looking to become more understanding and compassionate.Very interesting and hopeful!

Learning to speak Alzheimers review
This book is spot on.For those of us with parents/family/friends with this horrible disease, it is a gentle, accurate and loving walk through the progress of Alzheimers.I have bought copies for friends and they have been as moved as I by the truth of this book.

must have
This book is a real must have for any one dealing with this disease. I found so many suggestions and helpful ideas in here, it was amazing. It is also very informative. There was a lot of info in here that I had not been aware of before. It gives you a view from the perspective of the person suffering from this and tells you how to deal with it. I found it very helpful and would recommend it to any one.

Join the Fight Against Alzheimer's!
Support World Alzheimer's Day (September 21st) and become a Champion in the fight to end Alzheimer's Disease. Sign up, get involved and HELP the more than 5 million Americans currently living with Alzheimer's. It's your move.

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There are more than 5 million people in the United States living with Alzheimer's. The seventh leading cause of death in the United States, Alzheimers' is a common, progressive, and deadly disease. You probably know someone who suffers from it. Every 72 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer's. The direct and indirect costs of Alzheimer's and other dementia amount to more than $[...] billion annually.

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The Alzheimer's Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.

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Read along w/ Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Book for a well rounded view
This is a very readable book written by the wife of a man who developed Alzheimer's disease at a young age, when their children ranged from infancy to age 12. She taught herself to cope with his condition, and now lectures and advocates for the patients, thecaretakers of the patients, and their families. The book is strong on the day to day care of the demented patients, how to help them stay engaged with the world, how to help them retain speech and their remaining abilities as long as possible. She sees them as people for as long as they live, and wants their families, caretakers and society to see them that way too.It is very strong in its compassion and loving good heartedness,and in seeing these demented, often paranoid, confused, sometimes combative persons as the person he or she once was, not as they seem to be now.
She brings up excellent points: that no longer do experts try to bring the disoriented or confused person "back to reality", for example, if a patientthinks her father who died in 1950 visited her don't argue or try to "re-orient" her on this subject. It is not worth upsetting the person, has no long term value, and needlessly confuses and worries theperson. The same with combative behavior, in most cases a change in subject, or distraction, rather than physical over powering or medical sedation is better,more kind and gentle, and keeping a log of what triggers such behavior can defuse it in the future.
This book does have some problems for me, as a caretaker for a parent with early dementia. The author seems to assume the caretaker has no other job, or life for that matter, and that there are others to pitch in and help with the caretaking chores, and funds to hire helpers. Some of her suggestions, the long leisurely breakfasts, rides in the country, reviewing old scrapbooks, or retraining the person with little games she provides (which sound excellent by the way) are frustrating for the caregiver whose time is limited by constraints of work or another family's needs as well. There is enough guilt in this caretaking situation without having to deal with chapters headed: "Enrich the Patient's Life".
Nevertheless, it is a very good book and its consistant re-focus on the humanity of the patient makes it stand out among books of its kind.
I'd pair it with the book "Mayo Clinic on Alzheimer Disease" which goes much more thoroughly into the aspect of dementia as an illness, what goes wrong in the brain and body, current medications, testing, and so on---this book does not cover those areas. I do recommend it, but not as my first recommendation among these books but paired with the Mayo Clinic book I think you'd have a good set for knowledge of and caretaking skills of the dementing illnesses. ... Read more

Book Description
Dr. Peter Whitehouse will transform the way we think about Alzheimer's disease.In this provocative and ground-breaking book he challenges the conventional wisdom about memory loss and cognitive impairment; questions the current treatment for Alzheimer's disease; and provides a new approach to understanding and rethinking everything we thought we knew about brain aging.The Myth of Alzheimer's provides welcome answers to the questions that millions of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease - and their families - are eager to know: -+ Is Alzheimer's a disease?-+ What is the difference between a naturally aging brain and an Alzheimer's brain?-+ How effective are the current drugs for AD?Are they worth the money we spend on them?-+ What kind of hope does science really have for the treatment of memory loss?And are there alternative interventions that can keep our aging bodies and minds sharp?-+ What promise does genomic research actually hold?-+ What would a world without Alzheimer's look like, and how do we as individuals and as human communities get there?Backed up by research, full of practical advice and information, and infused with hope, THE MYTH OF ALZHEIMER'S will liberate us from this crippling label, teach us how to best approach memory loss, and explain how to stave off some of the normal effects of aging.Peter J. Whitehouse, M.D., Ph.D., one of the best known Alzheimer's experts in the world, specializes in neurology with an interest in geriatrics and cognitive science and a focus on dementia.He is the founder of the University Alzheimer Center (now the University Memory and Aging Center) at University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University where he has held professorships in the neurology, neuroscience, psychiatry, psychology, organizational behavior, bioethics, cognitive science, nursing, and history.He is also currently a practicing geriatric neurologist. With his wife, Catherine, he founded The Intergenerational School, an award winning, internationally recognized public school committed to enhancing lifelong cognitive vitality. . Daniel George, MSc, is a research collaborator with Dr. Whitehouse at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Medical Anthropology at Oxford University in England. 'I don't have a magic bullet to prevent your brain from getting older, and so I don't claim to have the cure for AD; but I do offer a powerful therapy-a new narrative for approaching brain aging that undercuts the destructive myth we tell today.Most of our knowledge and our thinking is organized in story form, and thus stories offer us the chief means of making sense of the present, looking into the future, and planning and creating our lives.New approaches to brain aging require new stories that can move us beyond the myth of Alzheimer's disease and towards improved quality of life for all aging persons in our society.It is in this book that your new story can begin.'-Peter Whitehouse, M.D., Ph.D. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Myth of AD helped my family
I'm only in college but I've been a part-time caregiver for my great aunt since October and this book was really inspiring to my mom and I when we read it a couple weeks ago.We never say that my aunt has a "disease", and this validated our belief that she is a regular person who is still capable of having some quality of life in spite of the changes that she is undergoing.We look at old pictures together, and she still gets a lot of pleasure from doing simple things like that (the book suggests a few activities you can do).All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone who is caregiving for someone, and really anyone else who is interested because there's a lot of information and a fresh new perspective here that I believe will really catch on if people give it a chance.

Facts you need to know about the aging brain
Adorable Photographs of Our Baby: Meaningful, Mind Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged, Their Loved Ones, and Involved ProfessionalsThis book shares what youu really need to know about the aging brain and people who ultimately get dementia. People with dementia can still contribute much to society. This book shows you how. People with dementia have much to tell and this book shows you what. This book also emphasizes that allowing those with cognitive impairments to remain a vital part of our society is crucial
by Susan Berg

Experts comment on The Myth of Alzheimers
"In less than 25 years, Alzheimer disease evolved from being a rare cause of early onset dementia to a disorder feared by almost every adult. The Myth of Alzheimer's is a thought provoking book that raises important questions about later life cognitive decline and Alzheimer disease. I highly recommend it."
-Peter V. Rabins, M.D., MPH, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, co-author of The 36-Hour Day

"Alzheimer's strikes fear into the American psyche. Whitehouse and George carefully and thoughtfully offer a way to empower ourselves and walk through that fear. The Myth of Alzheimer's is deliberately provocative, carefully researched, and lovingly rendered."
-Anne Basting, Director, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Center on Age & Community, author of Forget Memory

"A landmark book. If we read Peter Whitehouse thoughtfully, we'll never see Alzheimer's the same way again. Agree or disagree, he has changed the way we need to think about a critical problem in our time."
-Harry R. Moody, Director of Academic Affairs, AARP

"Finally, from a highly respected, vastly experienced scientist and philosopher, a sane, humane, practical, nonmedical, politically informed-- in other words, revolutionary -- way to understand and live with our aging brains. What a relief! What a treasure!"
-Judith Levine, author of Do You Remember Me?: A Father, a Daughter, and a Search for the Self

"The Myth of Alzheimer's helps emancipate us from the pernicious stigma of a condition whose namesake was reluctant to call a disease and from the shackles of pharmaceutical dependency and media distortion; simultaneously, it provides a welcome proactive approach to aging, illuminates and celebrates the priceless value of our interdependency as human beings, and explicates the positive role that healers can play. Policy makers, physicians, researchers, lay people, must read this book."
- Steven R. Sabat, The Experience of Alzheimer's Disease: Life Through a Tangled Veil

"Dr. Peter Whitehouse has challenged the current labeling of Alzheimer's disease in his new book, The Myth of Alzheimer's. With wisdom, honed through years of research and practice, Dr. Whitehouse opens the door to normal aging. He offers the reader clues to maintain a quality of life as we age. In addition, Dr. Whitehouse brings years of clinical experience presenting ways to reduce the burnout of the caregiver. Dr. Whitehouse has integrated medical research with practice, guiding the reader towards a wise old age."
-Naomi Feil, executive director, the Validation Training Institute, Inc.

"The Myth of Alzheimer's is an arresting and eminently readable book in which an acclaimed neurologist with 30 years' clinical experience systematically sets out the many scientific uncertainties associated with our understanding of the condition, including the validity of the diagnosis itself. Peter Whitehouse argues that Alzheimer's should be reconceptualized as intrinsic to human aging with emphasis given to prevention and thoughtful, humane care. His position is one that forces each of us into a realistic recognition of the complexity with which we are confronted. This courageous, thoughtful book demands immediate attention.
-Margaret Lock, Author of Twice Dead: Organ Transplants and the Reinvention of Death

"Complicated, unyielding, major problems need and deserve periodic reevaluation in how we perceive them, define them, treat them, and study them. This is just what Peter Whitehouse along with Daniel George have meticulously done with what most people understand as Alzheimer's Disease, in their authoritative, provocative, and compelling new book, The Myth of Alzheimer's. This book is of enormous relevance to persons concerned about and struggling with significant changes in cognitive functioning, as well as to family members, caregivers, clinicians, researchers, community program planners, and policy makers."
- Gene D. Cohen, M.D., Ph.D., author of The Mature Mind: The Positive Power of the Aging Brain

"Get ready for the fireworks. Peter Whitehouse has fired a shot into the midst of what he calls the Alzheimer's empire - the vast network of people and organizations that collect hundreds of millions in research funds and make billions selling drugs for treating a disease that does not exist. Whitehouse brings to his topic a level of humanism that is reminiscent of Oliver Sacks' writings about patients with cognitive differences from the so-called norm."
- David B. Wolfe, author of Ageless Marketing and co-author of Firms of Endearment

"Peter Whitehouse is very well known in Japan and around the world as a caring clinician and pioneering researcher. In Japan the government and experts have changed the words for dementia (from chi ho to ninchi sho) because we are aware of the negative effects of stigmatizing labels."
- Akira Homma, Chief of Psychiatry, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology and Founder of Japanese Society for Dementia Care

"This book presents a unique perspective on dementia. Peter Whitehouse combines decades of experience as a leading clinician and researcher in the Alzheimer's field with a sophisticated understanding of what history, anthropology, ethics and spirituality have to say about medicine, health, aging and dementia. With Daniel George, he has produced not only a penetrating critique of the concept of Alzheimer's disease and the medical industrial complex that created it and benefits from it, but a book full of profound and practical wisdom to all who are struggling to meet the cosmic and quotidian challenges of dementia."
- Jesse F. Ballenger, Ph.D, author of Self, Senility, and Alzheimer's Disease in Modern America

"Bold, provocative and compassionate. Peter Whitehouse tells the fascinating story of Alzheimer's, and then drafts a new version: embracing the challenge of living with our changing brains, and focusing hope on community, kindness and humanistic care.
This book surely would have helped our family."
-Ann Davidson, author of Alzheimer's: A Love Story and A Curious Kind of Widow

"With an impressive fusion of scientific data and humanistic vision Peter Whitehouse and Danny George successfully challenge the dominant conception of Alzheimer's disease. Arguing that an AD diagnosis is "scientifically unsound and socially disruptive," they reframe the way we think, speak and act toward our aging brains and help us imagine a better future for ourselves and our communities."
-Cathy Greenblat PhD, Sociologist and photographer, author of Alive with Alzheimer's

"Dr. Peter Whitehouse tackles with courageous candor current myths about "Alzheimer's disease" and offers an alternate, realistic and holistic approach to healthy and dignified aging."
-Vladimir Hachinski, MD, FRCPC, DSc Distinguished University Professor University of Western Ontario University Hospital

`This book tells the story of a remarkable journey. Peter Whitehouse describes and interprets the history and meaning of Alzheimer's for our time and in doing so he makes a personal journey as a successful scientist and researcher to question and reappraise his own vales and the meaning of his work."
-Harry Cayton, Chief Executive, Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence,
Former Chief Executive, Alzheimer's Society UK

Great read for the entire medical community
The Myth of Alzheimer's is not only relevant to people who have the potential of one day being wrongfully diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (which already includes everybody) but also to people interested in the medical community.
As a field, medicine is commonly criticized for lacking empathy with our patients that we usually treat like customers. Medicine also seem to lack accountability (only when major mistakes are made do physicians get supervision). Furthermore it seems that medicine has forgot to create its own limits (check the price of the medication you are on).
As a medical student, I believe that this criticism is founded. In medical school are taught all day every day, pure simple and elegant facts. We are given an explanation about those facts and we are then expected to go on practicing without ever asking questions. Thus we are never taught to have accountability. Exactly zero second is spent in the vast majority of medical schools on the price of health care thus physicians have no sense of limits. Finally our competitive process weeds out most people with any kind of empathy.
In his book Dr. Whitehouse shows a great example of how to think outside the box, how to see the mistakes that medicine has made, and the process which has lead to the largest myth of our generation: the Myth of Alzheimer's.
The success of this book will not only be seen in how many people start asking questions about the facts of Alzheimer but also by the way the medical community decides to reexamine itself and hopefully start showing more: Empathy, Accountability, and self-Limitation.

The Most Dreaded Disease of Our Time: Demystified
Betty Friedan helped change our thoughts and language about gender relations. Martin Luther King, Jr. helped change our thoughts and language about racial relations. Now Dr. Peter Whitehouse is helping change our thoughts and language about aging - more particularly about our aging brains. And this is a very good time for another social revolution in thought and language. Seventy-eight million Baby Boomers are reaching a time in life when brain changes due to aging are inevitable and, with enough time passing, universal.

The language we use to describe the inevitabilities of cognitive aging tap into the deepest reservoirs of fear: senior moments, dementia, loss of self, and organic brain dysfunction. In particular, we think of two words with unspoken angst: Alzheimer's disease.

In "The Myth of Alzheimer's: What You Aren't Being Told About Today's Most Dreaded Diagnosis," Dr. Whitehouse and his young literary protégé, Daniel George, address the very foundation of our cultural and social relationships to the most dreaded disease of modern times. First described in 1907 by Alois Alzheimer, this disease has grown into a "$100-billion-a-year marketing and research juggernaut, with more than 25 million afflicted worldwide." The victims of this mysterious milady face ostracism, institutionalization, isolation, loneliness and dependency. The perpetrators of the Myths are comfortable with our collective fears because they inspire research budgets, drug sales, elaborate diagnostic testing protocols, and nicely decorated prison facilities.

Above all, the Myths perpetrators create another class of human being, the unfortunate mortals who are less-than-fully human because of diminishing memories, communication skills and competencies with the activities of daily living. They are dying brains without hearts.
To most of us, such a medical diagnosis is a decree worse than death itself. It is what we dread for our parents; it is what we fear for ourselves. The authors believe the time has come to change our language and our innate conceptions of cognitive aging

With more than 30 years of experience as a scientist and geriatric neurologist, Dr. Whitehouse has been at the forefront of the evolution of the disease we call Alzheimer's. He has earned over a million dollars consulting with pharmaceutical companies about development of cholinesterase inhibitors, the contemporary silver bullets in drug therapies for early treatment of disease symptoms. He has accepted grants to support research and education in service of the same industry, valued at millions of more dollars. He has traveled the world to discuss the marvels of the coming cognitive pharmacopeia, again a benefactor of drug industry dollars.

And, finally, he has set in motion a pugnacious call for sensibility and a more informed public. As he portends, "(the book) is at root a book for Baby Boomers and health care professionals, and anyone else who wants to join me in bringing a new understanding to Alzheimer's disease and taking control of their own brain aging."

Taking control is a clarion call for the Boomer generation. Taking control is our legacy, and at exactly the right moment in the trajectory of our lives, Peter Whitehouse passionately compels us to take control of the source of our humanity, our creativity, our intellect, our personhood ... our brains. He suggests we have choices if we have knowledge and wisdom. He suggests we have dignity if we change our paradigms. He suggests we have the power to change what it means to be human across the entire lifespan, up to and including the twilight years when some of us inevitably will confront the challenges of cognitive decline. He suggests we no longer need passively to resign to medicine's most fearsome diagnosis, for either ourselves or those we love. He tells us we can deconstruct Alzheimer's and together create a more humanistic, healthy and hopeful view of brain aging. That can be our generation's final legacy.

To help us get from here to there (by overcoming the tyranny of AD), the authors have written a new narrative about brain aging. By employing the transformative power of stories and anecdotes, buttressed by the precision of hard science, they take readers through a fascinating journey.

Unabashedly they stare down the mythmakers. AD is not a brain disease or a mental illness; symptoms we associate with AD are not simply a brain's molecular breakdown occurring in old age but more often "a rainstorm that occurs throughout life." A new conception demands this cluster of cognitive changes to become both an individual's and humanity's long-term responsibility, from personal health choices to taking care of the planet that sustains and, because of environmental degradation, poisons us.

Dr. Whitehouse challenges us that AD does not lead to loss of self, as we might have envisioned the plight of President Ronald Reagan; rather, persons with cognitive impairment are still able to be vital contributors to society until the final days of life. By evoking new paradigms about brain aging, we can allow people the noble opportunities to continue contributing. For example, Dr. Whitehouse is also a founder with his wife of The Intergenerational School, a farsighted institution that brings children together with wise teachers who are great repositories of life's most important lessons.

If this book simply accomplished the objective of "creating a new cultural narrative that can shape the way we age in the twenty-first century," it would be an important work worthy of careful review and contemplation. But the good doctor and his protégé take their work even further by creating a new model of living with brain aging. Dr Whitehouse unveils everything we need to understand, from preparing for a doctor's visit to knowing how to live successfully with aging across the human lifespan.

So, in the end, he teaches readers how to "think like a mountain." For example, Boomers can climb the first peak by rethinking mortality. Instead of elevating "anti-aging" as the highest purpose for our credit cards, Dr. Whitehouse suggests that the energy (both psychic and monetary) for self-preservation can instead be directed at "becoming agents of great change in the world," the final expression of Boomers' highest aspirations in youth. Another peak to scale is self-indulgence that costs our health. So simply he suggests eating well, exercising judiciously and eliminating bad habits that foster disease.

This seminal book isn't just about Alzheimer's or the Myths that infuse the disease with too much power over our collective consciousness; it is the most intelligent work thus far about our generation's final crusade, the quest for wisdom in our longevity. ... Read more

Book Description
Offers a glimpse into the world of individuals living with Alzheimer'sdisease. The author, who was diagnosed at age 58, shares his account ofhis slow transformation and deterioration. Addresses complexity andemotions surrounding issues such as the loss of independence, unwantedpersonality shifts, struggle to communicate, and more. Softcover. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

A Dementia Patient Comments
I have early dementia, fitting the criteria for Alzheimer's.Like the author, I was a psychotherapist in my 50s when my difficulties became such that I couldn't work.It's incredibly powerful to read his words, and see what I would have said if I were only so gifted.Most importantly, I want doctors to read this book, as most of them relate only to dementia as it looks in the end stage, and aren't familiar with what the early disease process looks like.

ALZHEIMER'S FROM THE INSIDE OUT
I thought it was an excellent source for where we are at in having our mother recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's.It wasn't alot of fluff, very
honest about what to expect now and in the future.This is one's man account of his memory loss and deficiencies acquainted with the disease.I reccommend it highly.

A gift to us all!
if you work with, love or know anyone living with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia, I HIGHLY recommendAlzheimer's from the Inside Out by Richard Taylor.The book is written by a professional psychologist and teacher who was only 55 when he received his diagnosis of "dementia probably of the Alzheimer's type"and who was able to write in a remarkably articulate and insightful way about his own process--how itaffected him, his family, his caregivers and his relationship to others and to the world.It is a stunning achievement by the author who writes with passion, honesty, even humor; and it contains a wealth of helpful information to support us all in relating to individuals living with dementia in more effective, caring and compassionate ways. The book also includes invaluable resource information in the form of recommended reading, website addresses, names of organizations, and agencies, and so on.

Dawn Nelson, Founder
COMPASSIONATE TOUCH for Those in Later Life Stages
author, From the Heart Through the Hands: The Power of Touch in Caregiving.

An amazing gift of self
This book is a gift from the author to all of us who need the support and insight and understanding so necessary to a care giver.It has given our entire family strength.The essays need to be read and savored and contemplated individually.And since each one is a short but profound read, finding the time is not a problem!My patience and endurance has multiplied because I am able to better imagine how my dad is feeling as he fights this disease.Thank you for this book.

Kudos To One Brave Man
What a great book!Alzheimer's, one of the cruelest of afflictions, touches so many families.This book is a must read for all to understand what it means to live through the progress of Alzheimer's.Mr. Taylor takes a positive attitude towards this problem, and shares with all of us on the progress of Alzheimer's.I'm sure most people would just give up and get depressed - but, not Mr. Taylor.He continues to live life to the fullest, and, shares his experiences in a most professional way.My admiration for him has no bounds.My best wishes go to this brave man. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (2)

A powerful tool for the caregiver
This book is a must have for any person dealing with a loved one, friend or client with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. The tips are practical and readable. It is important for those caring for someone with dementia to have the proper tools. Also you want to focus on skills an afflicted person still has. Important also is keeping the mind of an Alzheimer's person active because this will help slow the decline. This book gives you practical tips on how to do that
by Susan Berg, author of Adorable Photographs of Our Baby: Meaningful, Mind Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged, Their Loved Ones, and Involved Professionals

Wonderful source of information
This book gives a clear and concise summary of changes which occur in the brain and in the behavior of the patient with Alzheimer's Disease. Dividing the book into three sections based on the stages of the disease is very useful. The tips for making life easier can easily be implemented. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (17)

Excellent caregivers' guide
This was written by a professional (clinical social worker), but can be easily understood by laypeople.It gives stages of Alzheimer's--what one can look for in the early, middle and later stages.And is also helpful about how to seek help.

OK--but not so great for older onset alzheimers
My mother is nearly 90.She's just beginning to develop Alzheimer's.This book would be good for those whose loved ones develop Alzheimer's at an earlier age, but I didn't find it very helpful.

36 Hours
Have not finidhed thid publication but have covered approz 125 pages. The info conveyed is excellent and has caused me to modify my approach to my wifs's condition. Unfortunately she has several other probems that complicate the situation. Rgardless this bookis vey helpful so far and I expect the balance to be the same.

Excellent Resource
Many books have been written about Alzheimer's disease. However this book gives the reader an easy to understand yet thorough explanation of what a family or caregiver should do when someone (s)he loves or works for has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

Susan Berg is the author of Adorable Photographs of Our Baby: Meaningful, Mind Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged, Their Loved Ones, and Involved Professionals.

Alzheimers Early Stages
A really informative book that points you in the right direction as far as finances, estate planning etc.I would recommend this book to family members who are caring for someone with this condition. ... Read more

Book Description
Updated with the newest information on Alzheimer's Disease and dementia, this bestselling book has remained the "bible" for families who are giving care toafflicted loved ones.Download Description
Updated with the newest information on Alzheimer's Disease and dementia, this bestselling book has remained the "bible" for families who are giving care toafflicted loved ones. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (78)

Keep your loved one active
My sisters and I come into contact with many people dealing with the devastating disease of Alzheimer's.This book is one that we often recommend.It is important that those with Alzheimer's disease keep active and feel that they are still useful.This book has many ideas for appropriate activites.Mary ...www.alzawareness.com ....Alzheimer's Awareness Source.

Helpful only to a degree......
This book does give insight into the disease the experience your loved one is going through.However, it lacks in practical information as the disease progresses.

Helped me tremendously
This book was recommended to me by a relative.My mother recently entered a nursing home and I was burdened by guilt that I could not to more for her.This book has helped me put the whole experience in prospective.

The book was in new condition.

The 36 Hour Day
A thorough review of all anyone would need to Know about Altzhiemers, including helpful suggestions on how to deal with this problem and where to get help.

36 Hour Day
A must for all caregivers and family with someone who has dementia. In reading the introduction to the book, I cried because it was so real to me. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Few books manage to balance practical suggestions and loving sympathy as well as Talking to Alzheimer's, a concise and comprehensive guide to communication with both paid caregivers and their patients. While the title suggests focus on a specific disease, the recommendations are appropriate for any family struggling with serious communication issues, whether those issues are the result of stroke, surgery, disease, or an accident.

Much of the book discusses methods of easing conversation during visits, as well as ways to manage the emotions that can surface in difficult times. From asking open-ended questions like, "How did your day go?" to gently reintroducing yourself to lifelong friends, the pointers here are written with kindness, and they focus on maintaining dignity for all involved. Short sections include tips on involving children in your visits and a welcome list of resources that spans organizations, Web sites, and additional books; this straightforward advice even includes expected response time to Web site inquiries. Instead of an index, you'll find a list of topics, so you can find immediate answers on "ending a conversation" and "when to insist."

One lengthy chapter covers the heartbreakers, such as dealing with refusals to eat or listening to tearful requests to be taken home. Author Claudia Strauss acknowledges the difficulty of these situations honestly, while at the same time providing simple words that can help diffuse the issues and open the path for joyful visits that benefit everyone involved. --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Excellent!
Such a positive approach.This book really helped me connect with my mother who has alzheimer's and is in a nursing home.I felt that I was making her more comfortable with our visits and not as confused.Thank you, Claudia J. Strauss for your helpful suggestions.

Not relevant enough
This book is basically a "feel good" book and doesn't address the grittiness of dementia/alzheimer disease.There are many of us whose loved ones/friends have become extremely hateful and vitriolic, and this book does nothing to give us some glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel."The 36-hour Day" is a much better and more comprehensive book.

Too much focus on what NOT to do
There are not a lot of books out there that even attempt to help people learn how to talk to a person with Alzheimers. I was very happy to find this book at all since I have just begun working at a day center program for persons with Alzheimers and dementia. This book is full of practical advice on the many ways and reasons we talk to persons with dementia and in that way, the book is extremely valuable.However,the overall emphasis of the examples is on what NOT to do, which is very frustrating. One of the reasons people seek out such a book in the first place is that they have already had some communicative breakdown and they are looking for ways to fix it, not more lists of what not to do.We already know what doesn't work. We want to know what does work.That said, please know that there is a wonderful small section with a parallel list of Don'ts and Do's near the end of the book. That section is worth looking at.

A how to "Talking to Alzheimer"guide
I first saw this book in the waiting room of a Dr. my mother was meeting with.I didn't have too much time to get into it then so I purchased it later and what a tremendous book, so easy to read and it had situations I am currenlty dealing with and the appropriate responses.I took it to my support group for caregivers and shared it with the group, some were going to purchase the next day. My thanks toClaudia Strauss for writing it!!

One of my "Must" readings for caregivers
Dementia a disease that knows no boundaries. It is blind to the categories in which we usually place our fellow human beings. It can occur at the age of 55 or 85. It can happen to Blacks, Whites, Hispanics, Asians, Jews, Christians, Muslims, males and females, rich and poor. It has not spared ex-presidents. I speak from personal experience. Dementia did not spare my mother whose 15 year journey into the opaque fog of this disease is told in my own recently published book. Tears are shed by husbands and wives, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters-in fact anyone responsible for the care of a loved one with dementia. TALKING TO ALZHEIMER'S will help all such caregivers to cope.

Robert Tell, Author of "DEMENTIA DIARY, A Care Giver's Journal" ... Read more

Product Description
We have long underestimated the person who has dementia. Each one's ability to reach out in familiar ways certainly diminishes yet he or she is always able to experience the deep benefits that come from being in vital relationship with others. Inside Alzheimer's tells how dozens of persons with dementia and their sharing of wisdom, humor and life's teachings led Ms. Pearce to the six basic principles of connection--how one person connects with another: Intend a connection, Free yourself of judgment, Love, Open to receive love, Silence and Thankfulness. Internalizing these principles has empowered hundreds of family, friends, and professionals to create moments of connection with persons, regardless of how advanced the dementia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Clear, comforting and confidence inspiring
This book provides a very clear, comforting and confidence inspiring way for family and friends to spend time with a person with Alzheimer's. I really appreciated how the author was able to explain the meaning of the world to someone who has Alzheimer's so that I could spend all of my time responding from that context. This allows me to avoid responses that while normal and seemingly logical to me would make no sense to the person with Alzheimer's. The explanations and coaching language are very effective. It was easy for me to grasp and imagine the world of the person with Alzheimer's. By almost being able to walk in their "mocassins" I am able to focus entirely on learning how to get better at it - and therefore be a better friend and companion. Inside Alzheimer's: How to Hear and Honor Connections with a Person who has Dementia

Must Read for Everyone Exposed to People with Dementia
Ms. Pearch touched my soul with her book. I stumbled onto it via Amazon. Once it arrived I quickly read through it. I started practicing the IF LOST concepts right away & can honestly say I have had better connections IMMEDIATELY with my mother. I've since purchased extra copies of the book for family members & have recommended it to several coworkers who are also dealing with ailing parents.
My mother was officially diagnosed 6 years ago - but we knew (she knew) something was going wrong much longer than that. She was 65 at the time. Since then I've read many books on this topic. Several have been helpful -but none have hit home as much as Inside Alzheimer's. Typically I have a hard time finishing books on this topic because the situation is so depressing. Right in the beginning of the book, Nancy recommends reading it at your own pace. She clearly knows the subject is a difficult one.

I highly recommend this book for ALL health-care personnel or family members of those with dementia. I will be handing out copies to all mom's caregivers, including her geriatric psychiatrist. I just gave a copy to my father & I know he'll have a much better understanding of how to reach mom once he finishes it.
Thank you to Ms. Pearce for taking the time to share her vast experiences with those of us going through this one by one. The caring & compassion she has demonstrated in her life will surely take her straight to heaven. No doubt an angel sent to guide those of us who are struggling to make a positive difference for our loved one's with this horrible disease!

Highly recommended as guideline, aid, comfort, and inspiration.
Written by medical social worker Nancy Pearce, Inside Alzheimer's: How to Hear and Honor Connections With A Person Who Has Dementia is an uplifting guide for anyone whose friends or loved ones suffer from various stages of dementia. Relationship and connection are still possible, and highly beneficial, with patients who are afflicted with dementia; Inside Alzheimer's covers the six basic principles of forming a dynamic: freeing oneself from judgment, love, openness to receive love, silence, and thankfulness. "I would much rather err on the side of assuming that the person with dementia can participate in his decisions about end-of-life care, rather than assuming he can't. It happens more than one would expect that during an open discussion, the person with dementia pops into a particular moment of clarity and clearly provides input." Highly recommended as guideline, aid, comfort, and inspiration. ... Read more

Book Description
Praise for The Alzheimer's Answer

"Dr. Sabbagh has written a book that points to a better public attitude toward Alzheimer's and a reasonable hope for transformation of the disease from a dreadful one-way street to a manageable, as well as treatable, chronic disorder that can allow continuing quality of life."
—Hugh Downs

"Dr. Sabbagh provides a concise, up-to-date, and clear understandingabout what we can do to prevent and delay the onset and progressionof Alzheimer's disease. The Alzheimer's Answer is an importantbook for anyone concerned about what one can practically do aboutAlzheimer's disease."
—William Rodman Shankle, M.S., M.D., Zenith Fellow Recipient, National Alzheimer's Association and Medical Director, The Shankle Clinic for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders

"This book has solid, straightforward answers to every Alzheimer's question I can think of. Thank you, Dr. Sabbagh, for this much-needed clarity."
—David Shenk, author of The Forgetting ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Review of The Alzheimer's Answer
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, and AD currently afflicts about 5 million people in the U.S. alone. Unfortunately, the number of affected individuals is expected to increase with each passing year.The risk of dementia due to AD increases with advancing age, and certain "worried-well" older individuals often seek medical advice on how to prevent or delay the onset of progressive memory loss.In addition, family members, especially first-degree relatives (siblings and children), of subjects with AD have a higher risk.They too wish to know what they can do to avert the slow-motion catastrophe they are now witnessing, or have witnessed, in their loved one.In The Alzheimer's Answer, Dr. Marwan Sabbagh (with a foreword by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor) provides advice in a clear and concise manner.Fortunately, there is much that can be done.With each chapter, Dr. Sabbagh presents the evidence for strategies to delay or perhaps prevent the onset of AD.This advice includes maintaining ideal body weight, not smoking, eating right, drinking only in moderation, and enjoying frequent physical, mental, and social activities (as well-described in the book).Other advice includes screening and treatment for high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and sleep disorders.Once memory decline begins, a medication review, and screening for depression, thyroid disorders, and vitamin B12 deficiency become essential.Medical advice and supervision for strategies to prevent head injury (often due to falls in the elderly) and stroke are also recommended as strategies to prevent dementia.Importantly, Dr. Sabbagh brings the reader to the cutting edge of our collective knowledge, and outlines the many gaps that can be filled in only by further research.There are many ways to prevent or delay the onset of dementia due to AD, and this book will hopefully make a significant impact on the ever-worsening deluge of affected individuals.Much of the advice also leads to "healthy aging" in general.Everyone with a relative or close family member affected by AD, or with memory concerns of their own, should read this book, and seek and heed the medical advice of their personal physician.I agree with Justice O'Connor--"Dr. Sabbagh has provided a much needed and extremely useful book about a much dreaded disease".
... Read more

Book Description
A revolutionary new approach to diagnose, treat, and delay the onset of the progression of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.

One out of every two families in the United States has a member with Alzheimer's or a related disease. Using their "Shankle-Amen Dementia Screening Test" in conjunction with medication, supplements, and physical exercise, Dr. Shankle and Dr. Amen have developed a program to prevent, delay, detect, and possibly halt Alzheimer's disease. The plan, combined with Dr. Amen's revolutionary brain-imaging techniques (which allow physicians and patients to monitor the workings of an individual's brain and the effects of treatment), will teach readers to employ early detection screening tools and early intervention strategies to delay the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease as well as other forms of dementia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Informative and Fascinating
What an excellent book. I am a RN have atteneded many seminars, read many books on aging and Alzheimers, work in psychiatry and gero psychiatry. However, I learned many things new reading this book. I am taking notes and plan to read it again to make sure I do not miss anything. What would happen to the Alzheimer's epidemic if we all followed the suggestions in this book.

If you are frightened by AD, read this book.
If you are interested in this book, you are probably over 50 and have a relative or friend who suffered from Alzheimer's disease (AD).You are probably frightened by even the faintest possibility of sharing such a fate.And, you want to inform yourself to do everything you can to prevent AD for yourself and loved ones.

This is a timely book for you to read.It is written by two medical experts.This book goes into greater detail in explaining the specific functions associated with the different lobes of the brain going much beyond the vapid left brain vs right brain concept.They also define all the different types of Dementia related to AD.They explain the four main neuronal causes of AD.They outline underlying medical conditions (cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, etc..) that can ultimately affect the brain and cause AD.They clearly outline the genetic component of AD.If you carry one or more of the Apolipoprotein E4 or Presenilin genes, your risk of getting AD is up to 7.5 times greater than normal.But, the greatest risk of all is advanced age.On the very first page, the authors state that if you are 85, there is a 50% chance you will develop AD.I have read this statistic so often that it must be true.If you know otherwise let me know.

The authors' strategy on how to prevent AD is "prevention through delay."By taking fairly simple diagnostic and preventive measures one can reduce its risk of AD dramatically and can also defer the debilitating symptoms of AD by an average of 6 years per their own clinical observations.Those measures include taking annual memory tests with a neurologist by the time you are 50, taking fairly large doses of Vit. C & E, a small daily dose of Ibuprofen, and ginkgo biloba supplement.This is in addition to exercising 30 minutes a day, and following a diet with plenty of fish, fruits and vegetables.

In their view, the key is to catch any symptoms leading to AD early.For them AD is just like diabetes.It is extremely challenging to treat diabetes once you suffer kidney failure.Similarly, if you wait until you are in a nursing home to treat AD, it will be tough to do much.On the other hand, just like diabetes if one recognizes potential early symptoms AD can be prevented and deferred more successfully.

Armed with this information, this book should give you hope that one can actively take simple steps to reduce their risk of AD and defer the debilitating symptoms of advanced AD.Also, taking such steps will not only reduce your risk of AD but also your risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer (the two leading killers).

MUST READ BOOK FOR ANYONE OVER 40 yrs
This book is a life line to those of us who are concerned about developing dementia as we age.I think everyone should read it but especially if you have a loved one with dementia.The book outlines specific things you can do to delay the onset of dementia for years even to the point where you never develop significant symptoms in your life time.I feel like I can do something to stop memory problems and AD is not hopeless.Thanks Docs!!

Essential reading for everyone over 50!
I have been waiting for 3 years for this book to come out and it meets and surpasses my expectations. Dr. Shankle treated my mother for Alzheimer's and is treating my father for other neurological problems. Concerned about getting Alzheimer's myself, this book is both reassuring and informative, offering concrete steps we can all take now to reduce our risk of dementia and suggesting memory screening annually for everyone over 50. Theessential message of this book is that dementia, like any serious illness, is best treated through prevention and early intervention. The book includes a web site for free memory screening and other easy tests to do at home and includes a chapter on current research. There are valuable ideas on finding a good doctor and web sites to go to for more information.

Best user friendly book on the market
As someone whose father died from Alzheimer's and whose mother is suffering from this terrible disease, I wish this book was written years ago. I've read a lot about the disease and Drs. Shankle and Amen have written the best user friendly book on the subject. The brain diagrams, along with the descriptions of the areas of the brain, and what behaviors each area is responsible for, makes for an enjoyable read. Most importantly, however, is the overall upbeat tone of the book. An early diagnosis can make a huge difference in the life of the sufferer as well as their caregiver, so one need not feel their condition is hopeless. The new therapies Dr. Shankle mentions, along with over-the-counter supplements show real progress has been made in treating all kinds of dementia. Another important aspect of the book is the Shankle-Amen Early Dementia Detection Questionnaire which assesses one's risk factor. I know from taking this test that I need to have a neurological check-up every year since both parents had Alzheimer's, and by doing so I can effectively stave off the disease. This is an easy read on a complicated disease. Shankle and Amen are to be commended for knowing their audience and speaking to them appropriately. Well done! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Voices of Alzheimer's
A great book that outlines my ideas on facing the caregiving of someone with dementia!

Thanks for writting this book
This book is a small treasure.I keep picking it up a reading different passages.It helps me understand and appreciate my father, who has Alzheimer's, in ways that I have forgotten.

It helped the whole family, even dad picked it up to read.

Thanks for a fabulous book,

I am one of the people in this book
My name is Doreen. I am one of the people in Betsy Peterson's book. She mailed me a signed copy which I have lent to other people and they also found it very useful.I am writing this to let people know that even though the book is called Voices of Alzheimers, it is really a book about Dementia in general (my diagnosis is Pick's Disease, not Alzheimers and as the book indicates they later changed Betsy Peterson's husband's diagnosis from Alzheimer's to another dementia). So if youhave a family member who has a dementia other than Alzheimers, you can also find helpful (and hopeful) information in this book.

A Must-Have Book on the Subject
This small book is a treasure of honest and deep sharing on the part of dementia patients and their caregivers and loved ones. The book is visually very attractive, the content is well organized, and the quotes--covering the full spectrum of sadness and anger to wisdom, humor, hope, and gratitude--are interspersed with the author's own moving story. Reading this has enabled me to relate with much greater understanding and confidence to those with Alzheimer's, and there is an excellent section on availableresources. Voices of Alzheimer's is unique in the literature on the subject and deserves to become a classic in the field.

Jenneke Barton

A wonderful book to help you understand Alzheimers
It's a wonderful book.Its power is in the innocence and simplicity of the quotes.It moves you from complete unawareness of the disease, up through recognition and understanding.

I bought it for my husband, whose mother is in the middle stages of Alzheimers.He read it, or should I say, devoured it, immediately.Then he bought one for his sister (he didn't want to give away his copy).

It's a text book on the progression of Alzheimers, written by people who were there, and woven into a beautiful story.It brings about a sense of peace after reading it. ... Read more

Book Description
A book of encouragement of how one man of faith faced the oncoming darkness of Alzheimer's disease. In a powerful story of courage and faith, Davis shows how God gives strength and grace. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Touching
Hearing about the decline into Alzheimer's Disease from the person suffering from the illness is very enlightening. This book is easy to read and very informative. You won't be left untouched as you walk on this journey with the author.

Awesome
This is a beautifully written, though tragic, account of a wonderful man of God who contracted Alzheimer's disease.I knew the author and his wife personally before the events of this book took place, and I'm thrilled to have the account of their final trials and victories.

Paving the Way for Other Alzheimer's Caregivers
It is rare that someone would dare to face their own devastating terminal illness, in this case, Alzheimer's Disease, with such clarity and insightfulness.As a caregiver to my husband, a United Methodist pastor, who is in the mid-statges of this disease, this book was immeasurably enlightning and helpful in understanding some of what is happening in his mind.It has also helped me to better know how to minister to him and to now how to deal with this ongoing degeneration of what was a bright mind.Robert Davis' faith and ultimate trust, especially his sharing of how he made peace with the disease, has proved to be a great help to me, asI know it will be to others.I might note that my husband also read the book and found it helpful.Many thanks to Rev. Davis!

Edna H. Love
United Methodist Pastor (retired)

`Since I am new to Alzheimer Care Giver'
I am the care giver for my husband of 57 years, and have nothing to compare what I am going through so this is really helpful. One thing that I would find helpful is how prevelent some of the symptoms are. I am doing what he want to do, it is his life and his house and who am I to tell him how to feel. I appreciate hearing the things other care givers have experienced.

I thought this was about Alzheimer's.......
I bought this book because I thought it would be a personal account of the signs and symptoms of early stage Alzheimer's.I read another called Living in the Labyrinth and found it fascinating, and I highly recommend that book to anyone interested in or having a personal experience with this horrible disease.Robert Davis' book, on the other hand, was more like a 140 page sermon full of praise for the Lord that bestowed this disease on him, bible quotations, and not much else.Let me say here that I am a nurse who has worked with these special patients for more than 10 years, and I was looking for more insight into the mind of someone who could still put their thoughts on paper.Guess I just like the cold, hard facts without all the fluff. ... Read more

Book Description
Bring out the best in each person with dementia each day with more than140 versatile, easy-to-implement Best Friends activities. Thousands ofcaregivers around the world know that providing Best Friends' careimproves the quality of life of people with dementia by building on theessential elements of friendship: respect, empathy, support, trust, humor, and sharing time together. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Activities for the elderly
This book isa great resource for families, friends, and professionals working with elderly individuals in general and especially those with dementia and other memory disorders.It provides excellent activity ideas along with great ideas on modifying activities to increase the impact and benefit for both patients and caregivers.it is an excellent resource for activity departments, therapists working with elderly, organizers for groups of elderly individuals and family members trying to maintain or enhance the lives of their loved ones.

Great Alzheimer's Resource
As an owner of 2 assisted living homes in Arizona, we are always looking for new and innovative ways to incorporate different activities into the residents' day. We ordered the first book in this series to try out the activities. Needless to say, we're ordering the remaining books because it has become such a hit!

Effective,Easy to do, Mind Stimulating Activities for those with Memory Impairments
This book suggests many ideas for activities for people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias that can help stimulate the mind which is so important to maintain brain function. There is a wide variety to meet most people's interests. Also ways to engage people are discussed.

by Susan Berg author of Adorable Photographs of Our Baby: Meaningful, Mind Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged, Their Loved Ones, and Involved Professionals. ... Read more

Book Description

Based on its author's four-year study and 15 years of experience in Alzheimer's and dementia-related care, Alzheimer's Activities That Stimulate the Mind is the only book offering exercises appropriate to each of the four stages of the disease. It features hundreds of exercises across an array of areas and disciplines, including arts and crafts, community outings, physical activity, religion and spirituality, grooming, gardening, music, and many more.

Customer Reviews (2)

Does not work in the real world of Alzheimer's Disease
I sent this book back, it could encourage unproductive activity situations. Although there are some good activities mentioned in this book, most of the activities outlined either simply don't work or are, at worst, counter productive for Alzheimer's persons. The author, who appears to lack knowledge of dementia and activities (she is a nurse not a RT) should become acquainted with Reisberg's 7 Stages of Alzheimer's or Johnson and Johnson's Alzheimer's as a 'trip back in time' article (American J. of Alzheimer's Disease, April, 2000). Just because a person works at a facility which cares for demented persons does not mean she knows what she is talking about. I wonder if this person has a degree in Gerontological Nursing or Gerontology? This author ill-advises readers to use activities that aid in "reality orientation" or "24 hour reality orientation" for a person with dementia. That idea is so dated and counter-productive it is ridiculous. The requirement for 24 hour reality orientation in nursing facilities is currently being either changed or questioned by most gerontologists. For example, the trend is for changes in the 24 hour RO requirement written into the policy and procedures for dedicated dementia wings or for nursing facilies (since they are running over 60 percent dementia),where the Activity Director validates the Alzheimer's person's delusions. Why? Because RO simply doesn't work or delievers a bad message for most demented persons. Unlike depression or delirium, demented persons have lost their abilities to think, remember and reason. So instead person-centered activities are the trend, where the activity accomopanies the AD person on his or her "trip back in time" instead of imposing your reality on the different reality of the AD person. When the Alzheimer's person has time-traveled back to age 20 or 30 and she is told she has grandchildren or an 80 year old husband, the only result of this correction will be either an argument or a message to the AD person that she is dumb! In summary, reality orientation does not work for dementia persons and should be restricted to depressed or mildly confused elders only. RO was originally used for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome men in Alabama and then became a national requirement for all nursing homes. But nursing homes house mainly demented persons now. So this outdated procedure is counter productive for demented persons. Activities focused on person-centered care are the current trend. Person-centered activities do mostly the opposite of what is suggested in this really bad book. Person-centered activities use validation instead of reality orientation and are matched with the 7 stages/sub-stages of AD persons in sink with the person's "trip back in time."

super book
this is the best book I have ever ead that explains alzheimers to the lay person.You know how that person feels when you finsih it and also itis obvious that the writer understand how the caregiver feels.It has enhaced the time i spend with my grandmother more than anythinf I have ever found.I would recommend this book to eveyone, it is an invaluable asset. ... Read more

Book Description
The landmark bestselling guide——now updated with the latest essential information

The third edition of this critically acclaimed guide leads you through the realities of caring for a loved one struggling with Alzheimer's. The author, a nationally recognized authority, details the latest developments in treatment and care options and offers helpful, hopeful advice for getting through difficult challenges. Now fully revised and updated, this edition includes new chapters designed to help caregivers cope with stress and depression and offers information on the latest breakthrough research developments and treatments. Alzheimer's speaks directly to your vital concerns, including:

• the symptoms and traits of Alzheimer's, what to expect at each progressive stage, and how to respond to behavior problems
• the full range of treatments and support services available, including tips on how to locate and finance them
• ways to understand your feelings and the impact of grief
• new information on managing caregiver stress and chronic depression in sufferers
• the latest therapies and medical research

With its sensitive and in-depth examination, Alzheimer's shows how to make the care you give more rewarding and effective and how to make the life of anyone caught in the grip of Alzheimer's more loving and comfortable.

"Valuable information for families, friends, and caregivers. . . a concisely written, essential resource."-Booklist ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

What a great book to help you through the tough times!
My mother died of Alzheimer's in January of 2006. This book hepled my father, myself (the only child)and my wife through the whole process. It is realistic and tells one what to expect and how to handle each stage of this terminal illness. I highly recommend this book to the caretaker and his/her family to help them understand and deal with the realities of Alzheimer's.

Great Book
Because a relative of mine has AD, I spent some time at a large local bookstore (BN) looking for the right book.This is the one I picked.I think very highly of it.

Excellent feedback from family members
As the Director of Social Work at a Retirement and Skilled NursingFacility, this is one of the books that I loan out to families. I have hadnothing but positive feedback from the families who have borrowed the book,and they have invariably told me that they found it easy to read, highlyinformative, and very helpful for them overall.In fact, I am visitingAmazon.com right now to order 2 more copies of the book at the residents'family members' request! -- Victoria T.Carey, MSW, LICSW ... Read more