"Since you have opened this book, you or a close friend or family member have likely been impacted by the upsetting and frightening diagnosis of dementia. You may have been told about this diagnosis in a number of different ways. Either the term dementia was used, or other words associated with or more specific than dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, Lewy Body disease, frontotemporal dementia, or Pick's disease, were used. You may even have been misinformed at first and told that you were simply facing the normal changes of aging, such as forgetfulness or mild depression. Sometimes these terms are relatable based on others we know who have been affected by them. But they can be shocking to hear and hard to understand when talking about yourself or a loved one. Even more difficult is that none of the most common forms of dementia currently have treatments that can cure or slow the disease"--
Caregiving for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease or dementia is hard but with this book, you and your family will successfully face the challenges that these diseases present. Dementia is a very common neurological disease of aging affecting millions of people in complex ways. There are multiple forms of the dementia, including Alzheimer's Disease, Lewy Body Dementia, Frontotemporal Dementia, and vascular dementia, among others, and many share features of slowly progressive and profound changes affecting memory, thinking, behavior, and personality. The disease often introduces personal and even financial strains, which can be at times hard to understand. Unfortunately, most forms of dementia have no definitive treatments to prevent, slow, or stop the progression, but there is a concerted effort in the scientific community to change this. There is a consistent hope that there will soon be a new era of scientific breakthroughs impacting dementia. Now, and in the future, patients with dementia, their friends, and their families need resources to successfully face the challenges introduced by the disease. Navigating Life with Dementia is designed as a handbook including tools to manage both day-to-day issues and to anticipate the long-term impact of the disease for dementia patients as well as their friends and families. This volume will help families in all stages of dementia care, beginning with the earliest hints of cognitive problems through advanced stages. In easily understood language, the book thoroughly covers the complexities of the dementias, the establishment of a diagnosis, what to expect throughout the stages of disease, and how to best anticipate and manage common problems.
In the U.S. today, over 5.8 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's Disease or related dementia. Each of these individuals has a story. And each one has caregivers, with stories of their own.You have questions - so many questions about what is happening now, and what is to come. How do I cope with this new manifestation of the disease? How do I prepare for an uncertain future?This is especially true when just navigating your way through each day can be overwhelming.Contained within these pages are answers to some of your questions as well as strategies for your future. In navigating this journey, it is important to remember two essential truths. The first is that the body may fail, and the mind may wander, but the spirit - the person inside - remains intact. The caregiver's role is to maximize the remaining strengths of the person they care for.The second is that you are not alone. Caregiving is often an isolating experience.Stories from the lives of others let us know that our experiences are not unique. Be assured that many have gone before, and others are walking the same road today.This is "I Know You by Heart: Navigating the Dementia Journey"
Navigating Life with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis provides accessible, comprehensive, and up-to-date information about the challenges patients, family members, and caregivers face when confronted by ALS. This guide covers all aspects of managing ALS, from the onset of symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, and coping strategies, to the use of home health care or hospice, and new research in the field. The book also sheds lights on difficult topics, such as end-of-life care and managing legal affairs. Formatted in a question-and-answer style, peppered throughout with patient stories, and with sections devoted to family members and caregivers, this compassionate resource provides guidance to those seeking to understand how to live with this disease.
Now in paperback, the cultural and medical history of dementia and Alzheimer's disease by a leading psychiatrist and bioethicist who urges us to turn our focus from cure to care. Despite being a physician and a bioethicist, Tia Powell wasn't prepared to address the challenges she faced when her grandmother, and then her mother, were diagnosed with dementia--not to mention confronting the hard truth that her own odds aren't great. In the U.S., 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 every day; by the time a person reaches 85, their chances of having dementia approach 50 percent. And the truth is, there is no cure, and none coming soon, despite the perpetual promises by pharmaceutical companies that they are just one more expensive study away from a pill. Dr. Powell's goal is to move the conversation away from an exclusive focus on cure to a genuine appreciation of care--what we can do for those who have dementia, and how to keep life meaningful and even joyful. Reimagining Dementia is a moving combination of medicine and memoir, peeling back the untold history of dementia, from the story of Solomon Fuller, a black doctor whose research at the turn of the twentieth century anticipated important aspects of what we know about dementia today, to what has been gained and lost with the recent bonanza of funding for Alzheimer's at the expense of other forms of the disease. In demystifying dementia, Dr. Powell helps us understand it with clearer eyes, from the point of view of both physician and caregiver. Ultimately, she wants us all to know that dementia is not only about loss--it's also about the preservation of dignity and hope.
Like a What to Expect When You're Expecting for dementia, Living in the Moment offers a comprehensive, easy-to-follow guide to understanding Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases, and what to do next. For caregivers and patients alike, renowned geriatrician Dr. Elizabeth Landsverk offers a path for patients to live a healthy and full life with dementia. A loved one’s dementia diagnosis can leave you feeling scared and overwhelmed. But you are not alone. Dr. Elizabeth Landsverk, founder of ElderConsult Geriatric Medicine, has led thousands of patients through a brain disease diagnosis, equipping them with knowledge, tools, and support to help them live happy and engaged lives. She shares her expertise in this practical reference that offers helpful explanations, advice, and guidance through an often confusing and challenging new landscape. Dr. Landsverk’s advice covers understanding the disease itself to managing a patient’s aggression and paranoia, from protecting against elder abuse to creating a long-range plan for patients and caregivers that includes home care, assisted living, and hospice care. LIVING IN THE MOMENT promises a plan that will minimize medication, treat pain, and relieve agitation, without falling back on standard medical approaches. Here is everything you need to know about caring for your loved one and making his or her life the best possible, starting now. You’ll learn: * How to recognize the earliest dementia changes How to create a plan of action for today—and tomorrow—that will help to manage this new normal Innovative new activities, and holistic interventions that can slow the progression of dementia Comprehensive information on both prescription and OTC medications that can help or hurt dementia patients Dealing with day-to-day challenges, from staying mobile to overcoming agitation and aggression without resorting to sedation A guide to understanding powerful medications that are often prescribed, and do not work How to relieve pain and calm agitation – without sedation or drugs How to keep your vulnerable loved one safe and secure—both physically and financially How and where to get help, including online support groups, home health care agencies, care managers, neuropsychologists, communities and day programs for people with dementia, and government agencies Tips on keeping your loved one at home versus placement Dr. Landsverk demystifies the ins and outs of dementia, explaining what it is and what it’s not, making sure you and your loved one will be ready to address whatever develops and maintain quality of life. Uniquely, Living in the Moment will transform how you think about dementia, providing comfort and support for the best life possible—at any stage.
[Content] All about the authors; Introduction; Talking with your relative; Becoming a detective: problem solving; The 4 A's: anxiety, anxiety, anger, and aggression; Why won't she take a bath; Taking the stress out of dressing; Eating; Mouth care; When you gotta go: helping a relative in the bathroom; Over and over again: repetitive behaviors; There's no place like home: when your relative wants to go home; Walking, pacing, wandering, or exercising; When you don't see things the same way: paranoia, delusions and hallucinations; And hours to go before we sleep: sleep and sundowning; Physical intimacy and sexual behavior; Glossary; Resources.
Eighty percent of persons with dementia live at home, and the family members caring for them are often overwhelmed by the enormous responsibility and the complexities of care. This book is designed to support the caregivers and help them understand the needs and feelings of the person for whom they are caring. A central focus is the goal of sustaining a loving family relationship between the caregiver and the patient. Developed from a training program for professionals and family caregivers, this book teaches the basics of dementia care while emphasizing communication, understanding and acceptance, and personal growth through the caregiving experience. The result is a guide that integrates the practicalities of caregiving with the human emotions that accompany it.
"It is hard to believe it has been only 7 years since the publication of our first edition. In this short time, so much has changed in what we know about Parkinson's disease and how to treat it. As I read through the first edition, I found much information was already out of date within 4 years from publication. New knowledge about the role of protein misfolding and how it leads to nerve cell damage in Parkinson's, about when and where the disease may be starting, about how it may progress and spread through the brain, about how it affects almost all aspects of body functions, about how all this new knowledge is shaping the quest for a cure, about how important exercise is, and about how the multidisciplinary approach to disease management changes the quality of life of people with Parkinson's has been accumulating at a dizzying pace. More than 200 years after the publication of Parkinson's An Essay on the Shaking Palsy and just over 50 years after the implementation of levodopa in Parkinson's treatment, it looks as though scientists are poised to make a breakthrough toward effective treatments of the disease itself, not just the symptoms, and paths that may eventually lead to a cure are now visible. Such progress would be impossible without the hard work of many researchers; the financial support of the corresponding government agencies; the advocacy of national and international Parkinson's organizations and the philanthropy of their donors; and the tireless efforts and open minds of the doctors, nurses, therapists, and social workers caring for people with Parkinson's and their families. Above all, none of this progress would be possible without the active participation of people with Parkinson's and their families through advocacy, community engagement, and participation in clinical trials. To them we would like to extend a great "thank you"."--
Caring for someone with dementia presents different challenges than caring for others with health care issues.People with dementia don't "play by the rules" that signify approaching death from disease or old age. This booklet outlines the issues and progress that a person with dementia will probably follow.The aim of this booklet is to provide information regarding approaching end of life to those people, family and significant others, who are making decisions for and caring for someone with dementia. It would be given to the family upon admission to the Palliative Care program or to any family that is having to address the eating and not eating dilemma.Like it's companions, Gone From My Sight and The Eleventh Hour, How Do I Know You? is short, written in large print, and the information is conveyed in a simple, direct yet gentle manner.
