When a loved one shows signs of dementia or Alzheimer's disease, you will face challenges for which you feel ill-equiped. Dozens of decisions will need to be made:
* Can Mom live by herself safely? If not, what if she refuses to leave her home?
* When do I need to take away the car keys and checkbook?
* How do I deal with her obstinate refusal to take a bath or go to the doctor?
* Should I correct her when she insists her dead sister is still alive?
* How do I handle her repetitive questions and accusations without losing my patience (or mind!)
* How do I keep her entertained?
* How do I handle her sun-downing, burst of anger, or inappropriate public comments?
* How do I keep her from wandering off and getting lost? How do I keep her safe?
The Alzheimer's Disease Caregiver's Handbook: What to Remember When They Forget provides a comprehensive look at Alzheimer's disease and other dementias and tackles all of these thorny questions with the best advice of an experience doctor and a seasoned caregiver.
Part I provides a comprehensive review of what Alzheimer's disease is, how it is diagnosed, and its expected progression.
Part II offers practical advice for the day-to-day obstacles a caregiver might face during each stage of the disease.
Part III offers suggestions for the caregiver in preventing caregiver burnout.
Part IV provides an interesting review of current Alzheimer's research and the aggresive commitment of researcher to combat this dreaded disease
The book ends with three humorous true stories about Alzheimer's patients.
The book is written by Dr. Sally Willard Burbank, an internist with over thirty years of experience with dementia patients, and Sue Pace Bell, a seasoned caregiver who nursed her mother and husband--both Alzheimer's patients--until their deaths. We have also included the collective advice from other caregivers and the staff of Abe's Garden, a premier memory care center in Nashville.
Bell, Sue Pace: - Sue Pace Bell lives in Waverly, Tennessee and works in a family gift store called the Carrollton House. Sue took care of both her mother and husband-both Alzheimer's patients-until their deaths. Thus, she has practical experience with all stages of dementia and learned the hard way how to handle the many problems that came up.
Burbank, Sally Willard: - Dr Sally Willard Burbank is a primary care internist in Nashville, Tennessee with over thirty years of experience working with Alzheimer's patients. She completed her medical school training at the University of Vermont and then completed residency through the University of Tennessee. She has been in private practice for thirty years and gained first-hand experience into dementia when her own father suffered dementia in the last several years of his life. She decided to research and then write this book after seeing how stressed out and worn out the caregivers in her practice seemed. Some caregivers, including Sue Pace Bell, handled the stress better than others, and that is why she co-wrote the book with someone who had nursed both a husband and mother through all the stages of Alzheimer's disease until their deaths.
