A delightfully entertaining adventure of a middle-aged couple, Vivian and Scott, who decide to take the road less travelled and join the brigade of the grey-nomad . They voluntarily drop out of the system and daringly sell the family home, waving "see you in a while" to the kids. They follow their heart, wherever it took them. Their exploits lead them to some unfathomable discoveries and experiences through the thrilling Red Centre of Outback Australia and beyond. They come face to face with astonishing characters and animals, unique to this vast continent in their natural habitat. This exploration of the country leads them to a personal exploration and discovery which is depicted in Vivian's humorous and insightful descriptions of their new life. Supported by dramatic photos the story unfolds into unexpected revelations in a raw and honest way.
This story poses a profound question - do we accept the hand that fate deals us, or do we battle to make the most of the life we have and help others in the process? Chris Graham, just 38 years old but already facing the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, has emphatically chosen the latter. Having lived through a troubled childhood, Chris joined the British Army at a young age and found that the life of a soldier provided him with a much-needed sense of stability. However, his world was turned upside down when, at just 34 years of age, he was diagnosed with a form of early onset dementia. This brutal disease had already claimed the life of his father at 42, along with several other members of his family, and tragically had already confined his brother to a nursing home at the age of 43. In his brother's life, Chris could see a terrifying window into his own near future. Chris, though, is an extraordinary human being. Having been handed nothing less than a death sentence, he decided overnight to stand up to this horrendous disease and do something to leave his mark before it was too late. And so it was that last year, Chris embarked on an awareness-raising 16,000-mile solo cycle around North America, armed only with his bike, a sense of humour, and some good old-fashioned British grit. Leaving his ever-supportive wife Vicky and baby son Dexter at home, he took on huge challenges - for instance, the fear that the ability to discern left from right might leave him at any point while navigating an entire continent - and made it home in time for Christmas, determined to spending however long he has left pouring his love and attention into his family life. Five Minutes of Amazing is both the story of Chris' epic journey and of his fight against the disease increasingly being recognised as the defining disease of our generation. Inspiring and heart-rending in equal measure, it's as important as it is moving, and it will touch everyone who reads it.
This important book simply but persuasively demonstrates why we should provide the opportunities for people with dementia to experience the great outdoors. It also gives a voice to people with dementia who have felt the benefit of getting closer to nature. The contributors explore many different ways in which people with dementia can experience and interact with nature through pursuits such as farming, gardening and walking, and the book includes a chapter on the therapeutic, life-enhancing effects of activities with animals. The book includes descriptions of projects and initiatives from around the world that have revolutionised the everyday experience of people with dementia, and made a real difference to their quality of life. Illustrated with photographs amply demonstrating the power of nature to lift the spirits and enrich life, the book will be an inspiring guide for relatives, carers and professionals who want to help people with dementia lead a richer life, experience nature fully and enjoy its many accompanying benefits.
Demonstrating that it is essential to be sensitive to the cultural backgrounds of people with dementia in order to provide truly person-centred care, this book shows that it is possible to create culturally appropriate outdoor spaces and experiences that resonate with people with dementia on a fundamental level and are a source of comfort and wellbeing. Contributors drawn from a variety of backgrounds describe the significance of nature in the lives of people with dementia from diverse cultures, faiths, traditions and geographical locations, providing helpful insights into how access to the natural world may be achieved within different care settings. There are contributions from the UK (Scottish island, urban North East England and Norfolk farming communities), Canada, Norway, Japan, Australia, Sudan and South Africa, as well as a chapter on the specific difficulty of providing access to nature for people with dementia in hospitals. The voices of people with dementia and their carers are prominent throughout, and the book also contains evocative poetry and photographs of people with dementia enjoying nature and the outdoors in different contexts. A rich source of information and ideas for all those interested in creating culturally appropriate outdoor spaces and experiences for people with dementia, including dementia care practitioners, especially those at managerial level, policy makers, commissioners and those involved in designing and commissioning buildings and services.
A novelist and a neuroscientist uncover the secrets of human memory. What makes us remember? Why do we forget? And what, exactly, is a memory? With playfulness and intelligence, Adventures in Memory answers these questions and more, offering an illuminating look at one of our most fascinating faculties. The authors—two Norwegian sisters, one a neuropsychologist and the other an acclaimed writer—skillfully interweave history, research, and exceptional personal stories, taking readers on a captivating exploration of the evolving understanding of the science of memory from the Renaissance discovery of the hippocampus—named after the seahorse it resembles—up to the present day. Mixing metaphor with meta-analysis, they embark on an incredible journey: “diving for seahorses” for a memory experiment in Oslo fjord, racing taxis through London, and “time-traveling” to the future to reveal thought-provoking insights into remembering and forgetting. Along the way they interview experts of all stripes, from the world’s top neuroscientists to famous novelists, to help explain how memory works, why it sometimes fails, and what we can do to improve it. Filled with cutting-edge research and nimble storytelling, the result is a charming—and memorable—adventure through human memory.
Skills in caring for people with dementia are increasingly demanded of all health care practitioners as the numbers of diagnosed increase. Caring for People with Dementia presents Christine Brown Wilson’s latest research into improving dementia care for both non-expert students and junior staff as well as more senior managers. The text first guides the reader through the underpinning theory behind the different approaches to person centred and relationship centred care and provides case scenarios with a range of practical strategies staff and students have developed and implemented. It then presents the different levels of the organisational change using practical strategies adopting a person centred and relationship centred approach involving the person with dementia and their families. This book will be indispensable reading for all nursing and healthcare students and practitioners who want to improve the quality of life for people with dementia. Christine Brown Wilson is Associate Professor at the University of Queensland, Australia.
The concept of Green Exercise has now been widely adopted and implies a synergistic health benefit of being active in the presence of nature. This book provides a balanced overview and synthesis text on all aspects of Green Exercise and integrates evidence from many different disciplines including physiology, ecology, psychology, sociology and the environmental sciences, and across a wide range of countries. It describes the impact of Green Exercise on human health and well-being through all stages of the lifecourse and covers a wide spectrum from cellular processes such as immune function through to facilitating human behavioural change. It demonstrates the value of Green Exercise for activity and education purposes in both schools and the workplace, as well as its therapeutic properties. Green Exercise is an effective intervention for vulnerable groups and promoting healthy ageing, with activities including wilderness therapy, therapeutic horticulture and the use of forests and water. Chapters also integrate cross-cutting key themes which are relevant to all stages of the lifecourse and have significantly contributed to the Green Exercise research base, such as forest bathing and blue exercise. The book also explores the future of Green Exercise, the way in which research can be used to influence green design and planning and how health, social care and environmental agendas can be integrated to enable Green Exercise to be more widely used as a mechanism for improving health.
Care of older people is a major issue in the UK, crossing the boundaries between emotion, practical issues and economics. Yet many current concerns, and much conventional planning, are based on outdated assumptions or misunderstandings about the nature of ageing. Woodward and Kartupelis work to shatter these myths to create new and more useful models for our society. Drawing on recent research, the book zeroes in on the nature of interpersonal relationships, their critical effect and the factors which affect their formation. The book has been inspired by the extensive work undertaken by both authors in the field of promoting the spiritual wellbeing of older people in in the UK, and brings together a diversity of expertise to propose a revolutionary new approach based on nurturing particular types of relationship. Stimulating and eminently readable, this key text will play a vital role in reimagining care for the elderly and recognising the full potential of our older population.
Slow and delay the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, from memory loss to disorientation, with this practical activity book. Using step-by-step ideas designed to stimulate and entertain, dementia care specialist Helen Lambert explains how engaging in a variety of simple activities can benefit different parts of the brain and help to keep your mind fitter for longer. What's more, everyone can join in: each activity contains hints and tips that not only show you how to do it, but also include ways to adapt the various physical exercises, games, and craft projects for different abilities, or to include family and friends. Whether your interests are in music, art, gaming, or gardening, The Memory Activity Book has activities to suit, as well as ideas to inspire anyone looking for guidance on how best to interact with people affected by memory issues, Alzheimer's, or other forms of dementia. Whatever your involvement - friend, relative, partner, or patient - The Memory Activity Book offers a valuable resource for everyone living with dementia.
The Oxford Textbook of Old Age Psychiatry, Third Edition, has been thoroughly updated to keep pace with the developments that have taken place in old age psychiatry since publication of the Second Edition in 2013, including the publication of the DSM-5/ICD-11 classification criteria. The Third Edition also includes new chapters on the ageing brain; the experience of dementia; carers' issues; biomarkers; and old age psychiatry in low- and middle-income countries. This new edition introduces two new co-editors, Robert Stewart, Professor of Psychiatric Epidemiology & Clinical Informatics at King's College London (and a Co-Editor of Practical Psychiatric Epidemiology), and John-Paul Taylor, Professor of Translational Dementia Research at Newcastle University. Part of the authoritative Oxford Textbooks in Psychiatry series, this comprehensive resource is an essential reference for old age psychiatrists, geriatricians, and other clinicians who are interested in the mental health care of older people.
