Dancing with Alzheimer's


Book Description

Once a wealthy and sophisticated European dancer, Elizabeth 'Betty" Bromley is now spiraling downward into the abyss that is Alzheimer's disease-a world that relentlessly tightens its grip on the woman's sanity. At one time rich and powerful, Lolita Rimblas is on the brink of losing everything. Fate brings the two women together, and while they fight to hold on to Mrs. Bromley's memories, Lolita struggles to forget her own. Both Mrs. Bromley and Lolita are caught in a vortex of emotional turmoil that fills each day with despair, embarrassment, laughter, and eventually, acceptance. Lolita never imagined herself to be chasing after a dog and cataloguing its feces, preparing a dinner party for a ghost, fending off flashlight attacks in the middle of the night, or defending herself from affronts to her morality and self-esteem. But as days and nights fuse together, the two women develop a bond wrought from need, pity, loyalty, and a love that even Alzheimer's can't break. As Lolita helps Mrs. Bromley retain some of the dignity that Alzheimer's has taken away, she finds herself having to choose between following her lifelong dream or listening to the dictates of her unrelenting conscience.




Alzheimer's


Book Description

It has been predicted by the year 2025 that over a million people in the UK will suffer from a form of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease is by far the most common. For every sufferer there are also an untold number of partners and family members in need of information and support. This book covers everything you will need to know about Alzheimer’s; from understanding what causes the condition and how you can help prevent the disease, to the types of treatment available and where to get the right help. In an easy-to-read style, the book offers support and practical coping strategies, without overloading you with the science. If you have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, have a parent or partner who suffers from the disease or are a health professional looking for more information, this book is your starting point for tackling the condition.




Understand Alzheimer's


Book Description

A diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease can be frightening and overwhelming-and not just for the patient. Becoming the primary caregiver for a newly diagnosed loved one can be one of the most challenging-and one of the most rewarding-experiences possible. In Understand Alzheimer's: A First-Time Caregiver's Plan to Understand & Prepare for Alzheimer's & Dementia, you'll find a wealth of practical and useful information to help you and your loved one deal with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Understand Alzheimer's is a guide to providing compassionate care for a spouse, parent, sibling, or friend, from the early stages of Alzheimer's disease until the end of life. Understand Alzheimer's is a comprehensive and thoughtful guide to caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's, with: An in-depth explanation of the seven stages of Alzheimer's disease and what the diagnosis means Checklists for how to prepare your loved one's surroundings for safety and ease of activities Compassionate advice for managing your stress and finding the balance to keep you from feeling depressed, lonely, and isolated A list of resources with information for supporting those with Alzheimer's disease, and organizations that can help build a caregiving network A guide to Alzheimer's treatment options and a checklist for dealing with medical professionals Helpful suggestions for managing the changes in your loved one's behavior Living with Alzheimer's disease presents daily challenges for both the caregiver and patient. Understand Alzheimer's is a practical guide that helps you and your loved one cope with Alzheimer's while maintaining the best quality of life possible for both of you.




The 10 Best Questions for Living with Alzheimer's


Book Description

A good mind knows the right answers...but a great mind knows the right questions. And never are the 10 Best Questions™ more important than after the life-altering diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Drawing on cutting-edge research and advice given by experts from the Alzheimer's Association, Mayo Clinic, and UCLA's Memory Clinic and Center for Aging -- as well as personal stories from caretakers, including television star and activist Linda Dano and nationally syndicated columnist Harriet Cole -- The 10 Best Questions™ for Living with Alzheimer's is a guide you'll take with you to your doctor's office and keep close at hand as your loved one progresses from the initial diagnosis through all the stages of the disease. In addition to the medical questions, you'll also learn what you need to ask your spouse or parent; questions to assess home safety issues, driving skills, and home care; and how to care for your own emotional, legal, and financial health. With a wealth of resources and up-to-the-minute information, The 10 Best Questions™ for Living with Alzheimer's shows you and your family how to move past a scary diagnosis and use the power of questions to become your own best health advocate -- for yourself and for your loved one.







Keeping Mum


Book Description

"At 3am I was startled awake by the opening of the stairgate. Leaping out of bed I found Mum, clothes on over her pyjamas, grumbling she was fed up of being moved from pillar to post and was going home." When her mum was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, Marianne Talbot decided she couldn’t put her into a care home. Instead, for five years, she looked after her mum in her own home. For nearly three of those years she chronicled for the readers of Saga Magazine Online the fears and frustrations, the love and the laughter, and the tears and the traumas of caring. Now, in this heart warming book, you too can meet Marianne, Mum, and the appalling Fatcat. You will also find plenty of practical tips for caring for someone with dementia and on staying sane whilst doing so, a resources and useful contacts section and Marianne’s reflections on caring from a distance, and on when caring comes to an end. Written for anyone, anywhere, who has anything to do with dementia or with caring; in reading it you will know you are not alone.




Alzheimer's Disease


Book Description




The Other Side of Alzheimer's


Book Description

Alzheimers and marriage is a complex combination of emotions. You change, too, when your spouse has Alzheimers. This is a poignant collection of personal experiences, moving from confusion, loneliness, and fear to understanding and peace. Knowledge of resources and connecting with others who are, or have been, faced with this consuming task help you find your way through the maze of many unanticipated challenges. Finding the support of others is critical to achieving acceptance of this life-changing event. With a sprinkling of humor, this becomes a story of the power of love, allowing you to survive it. The Other Side of Alzheimers is written with honesty, sensitivity, and love. Every experience describes the physical, mental, and emotional challenges, while alluding to humor and hope. There are few published resources that deal with feelings of a spouse faced with a partners Alzheimers disease, and none I have read as good as this one. I found it to be a beautiful love story that any reader can appreciate. Carol Long, RN-BC Board Certified Gerontological Nurse Sozo Senior Wellness, Raleigh, North Carolina Ms. Ellis has written a beautiful, insightful account of the journey through Alzheimers. It reveals how love, understanding and the acceptance of change can overcome any adversity. It applies to us all as we navigate through the ebb and flow of a significant relationship. Karen Brisendine Retired Electronics Industry Business Manager Caregiver Martha-Lee Ellis has written a touching memoir that approaches Alzheimers from a wifes perspective of a scary and unpredictable course. The Other Side of Alzheimers offers a lifeline to others going through this experience, enabling them to see that they are not alone. This story has something to benefit anyone facing this disease with their spouse. Michelle S. Brovitz, MS PA American Society of Clinical Pathologists Former Pathologists Assistant for hospitals nationwide




WHAT YOUR DOCTOR MAY NOT TELL YOU ABOUT (TM): ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE


Book Description

A leading Alzheimer's expert presents a comprehensive program to help prevent and slow the progress of memory loss. There are currently more than four million Americans afflicted with Alzheimer's, and an estimated 14 million will have the disease by 2050. The good news is that everyone can make lifestyle changes to increase the odds that they will live well into old age with their mental faculties intact. Dr. Devi's groundbreaking program can help prevent the disease from developing and slow memory loss in those already suffering from the illness. By taking an active role in the management of the disease and through a combination of medication, natural hormone therapies, mental exercises, cognitive rehabilitation, and nutritional and herbal supplements, it is possible to slow the effects of this debilitating condition and improve the quality of life.




Alzheimer Discourse


Book Description

This book deals with the narrative discourse--specifically lifestories--of 16 patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease (AD). It attempts to understand the discourse of these patients in contextual terms. Thus far, the dominant explanation for "incoherence" in AD speech has been largely provided by research in psycholinguistics, much of which has understood AD speech in terms of the progressively deteriorating nature of the disease. This study provides a complementary view by examining ways in which some social factors--audiences, setting, and time--influence the extensiveness and meaningfulness of AD talk. By offering both an examination of interactions across the data as well as analyzing particular cases in detail, this unusual study attempts to juxtapose some general insights regarding AD discourse with case-specific ones. Sociolinguistic analyses of the data demonstrate how certain audiences and particular settings set in motion discourse activities that either facilitate the patients' ability to recall their pasts or impede it. This analysis also includes a critical look at the researcher's contribution in negotiating and reinforcing these activities. Ethnographic details about the social worlds of some of these patients shed light on how larger social contexts at least indirectly contribute to exacerbating the patients' conditions or stabilizing them. The analyses of both context and language provides a more global understanding of the Alzheimer experience. This study also discusses some interactional strategies by which professionals can begin to engage AD patients in meaningful talk as well as ways by which they can better "hear" AD patients' cues at narrating. Throughout, this book underscores the need to factor in social factors when making assessments regarding AD patients' communicative abilities.