This category, Books for Caregivers, will always be the longest list. Many of the books in this list are written by professionals, nurses and doctors, social workers, and others whose training makes them particularly suited to address this subject. Others in this list will include personal memoirs, accounts by people who were thrown into the role of providing care, usually for a loved one. Some books were written by people who were experiencing first-hand the effects of the condition. Perhaps the most notable is Alzheimer’s from the Inside Out, by Richard Taylor.
There is a subset to this category; memoirs. These are written to share the authors’ experiences mostly as care partners with a parent, a spouse or a friend. Or, as in the case of Somebody I Used to Know, the author is on the other side of the care-partner equation. Often these memoirs are very insightful, providing care support and guidance through real-life narrative.
The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer Disease, Other Dementias, and Memory Loss by
This is one of the Bibles for dementia care. It is an essential resource for families who love and care for people with Alzheimer disease. Whether a person has Alzheimer disease or another form of dementia, he or she will face a host of problems. The 36-Hour Day will help family members and caregivers address these challenges and simultaneously cope with their own emotions and needs.
Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias – The Caregiver’s Complete Survival Guide by Nataly Rubinstein
Drawing from clinical and personal experience, Nataly Rubinstein guides you with humor and compassion through your journey. From preparing for the first visit to the neurologist to advice for daily life, she provides detailed, accessible information for those caring for someone with memory loss.
This easy-to-read book will give you the resources to make informed decisions regarding the best possible care for you and your loved one.
Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s: A Groundbreaking Approach for Everyone Dealing with the Disease by Joanne Koenig Coste
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.
Rethinking Alzheimer’s Care by Sam Fazio, Dorothy Seman , & Jane Stansell
This provocative book revolutionizes the way care is understood and provided to people with Alzheimer’s disease. Now you can revitalize and humanize your approaches to Alzheimer’s care to better sustain quality of life throughout the course of the disease. Appropriate for all settings providing long-term care, adult day services, or assisted living, this fresh and humanistic approach to Alzheimer’s care will encourage caregivers to rethink the disease experience and explore its possibilities, instead of its limitations. Rethinking Alzheimer’s Care encourages readers to reconsider the meaning of home, reshape the environment, recreate a philosophy of care, redesign care programs, and more.
Travel Well with Dementia: Essential Tips to Enjoy the Journey by Jan Dougherty
Terri tells us: I just found an amazing book. It is so well written, easy to use, with practical tips and guides. Everyone affected by dementia should have this book! I highly recommend this book!
For those who enjoy travel, and want to continue to do so, this book is a must-read both for those with dementia and their loved ones. Whether visiting family and friends or venturing to a new location for fun, it’s packed with practical tips and strategies that will remove many of the stressors created by travel. Find confidence in your ability to stayed engaged with people and places that matter—and continue to create memories!
Inside Alzheimer’s: How to hear and Honor Connections with a Person who has Dementia by Nancy Pearce
This is one of our favorite guides for dementia care, and we think one of the best and most insightful. 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.
Alzheimer’s From The Inside Out by Richard Taylor
Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at age 61, the former psychologist courageously shares an account of his slow transformation and deterioration and the growing division between his world and the world of others.
There’s Still a Person in There: The Complete Guide to Treating and Coping with Alzheimer’s by Michael Castleman , Dolores Gallagher-Thompson, et al
The definitive, thorough care-giver’s guide to Alzheimer’s Disease incorporates the latest scientific and medical research and uses family profiles to show how people cope with, treat, and possibly even prevent this common ailment.
Navigating the Alzheimer’s Journey by Carol Bowley Sifton
As a longstanding professional Alzheimer’s specialist and a former caregiver herself, Carol Bowlby Sifton knows exactly what information you need to know, including how Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias may affect your loved ones, how to communicate and interact most successfully, and how to manage activities of daily care. Learn why challenging behaviors occur and how to respond to them, how to arrange the environment to support everyday functioning, how to capitalize on remaining abilities, when and how to get help, and what plans to make for future care.
Dementia Beyond Drugs: Changing the Culture of Care by G. Allen Power
Incorporates research, language, and examples to reinforce the core message that antipsychotic medications are not the solution to ease the distress experienced by individuals living with dementia, and presents alternative solutions for providing respectful, individualized support and care. Unique features in the book include: * Discussion of new drug studies and government reports on the dangers and ineffectiveness of antipsychotic medications in the dementia population * Innovative practices in dementia care * A pathway to meet―and exceed―the drug-reduction goals established by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Care Partner Memoirs
Come Back Early Today: A Memoir of Love, Alzheimer’s and Joy by Marie Marley PhD
The powerful 30-year love story of a young American woman and a delightfully colorful, wickedly eccentric Romanian gentleman and scholar, interspersed with advice and inspiration for Alzheimer’s caregivers everywhere. In addition to being a compelling love story, this award-winning memoir shows how one woman solved several specific problems that typically arise when caring for a person with dementia.
Somebody I Used to Know by Wendy Mitchell
How do you build a life when all that you know is changing? How do you conceive of love when you can no longer recognize those who mean the most to you? A phenomenal memoir – the first of its kind – Somebody I Used to Know is both a heart-rending tribute to the woman Wendy Mitchell once was, and a brave affirmation of the woman dementia has seen her become.
Pl
ease Get to Know Me: Aging With Dignity and Relevance by
Does life inside a nursing home seem frightening, unappealing, or mysterious? Are you unsure how to choose a really good one for your elderly relative? This book is an insider’s guide to everyday life in a nursing home. Virginia’s unique experience as a professional and a family member will encourage and equip you to resolve issues lovingly and proactively. Help your elderly loved one find comfort, safety, relevance, and respect no matter how frail he or she is.
The Long Hello: the Other Side of Alzheimer’s by Cathie Borrie
Cathie Borrie writes of her mother remaining “one hundred percent of who she is,” despite having both Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Borrie turns our view of Alzheimer’s as a long goodbye on its ear, as she follows her mother into her past through her shifting mind. Other caregivers call it the most useful and touching book they’ve read on the disease.
Please let us know the dementia-related books you find useful.
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