This is the most recommended book about Alzheimer's Disease. It is required reading for every caregiver. The first Alzheimer's Association chapter I contacted sent me a copy of it the first time I called them, and for that I will always be grateful. Not until I had read this book did I better understand Alzheimer's and what it was doing to my mother. Read every book you can find on Alzheimer's, but you'll probably want to read this one first.
Therapeutic Caregiving: a Practical Guide for Caregivers of Persons
with Alzheimer's and Other Dementia Causing Diseases, by
Barbara J. Bridges
Mill Creek, Washington : BJB Publishing, 1995.
This book is indeed "a practical guide" for not only getting through each day, but also making each one better than it might have been otherwise. The chapters on communication and cueing will help in developing skills that will help make each day more pleasant, as will the chapters on preventing stress and managing problem behaviors. I was especially impressed with the "What If" questions in chapter seven, for example "What if you went to bed and didn't know whether it was nighttime or daytime? What if you woke up from a nap in the afternoon and thought it was time for breakfast? What if you became frightened or lost in a darkened room?" (p. 62)--these questions help us to imagine what it's like for an Alzheimer's patient. All of this, plus the day-to-day, eating, sleeping, hygiene, and even exercise, is covered in this book by Barbara J. Bridges, an RN who spent fourteen years caring for both her parents. I highly recommend this book for all caregivers. Also, Barbara has a home page at:http://pages.prodigy.com/bjbservices
The Alzheimer's Sourcebook for Caregivers: a Practical Guide for Getting Through the Day, by Frena Gray-Davidson. Los Angeles: Lowell House, 1993.
This is a book I was fortunate enough to have when I was taking care of my mother. It deals with the emotional issues involved in caregiving as well as giving practical suggestions for communication and loving caregiving. I was so impressed with this book that I quoted parts of it in my journal, like this one "When you can really love your mother exactly as she is, she can reemerge and be who she used to be for a while." and I even wrote to Frena asking questions. After I got my homepage up, Frena surprised me with an email saying she saw my home page and that she remembered me! Frena has a home page, too, at http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/1159/"
Gone Without A Trace, by Marianne Dickerman Caldwell. Forest Knolls, California:
Elder Books, 1995.
Imagine your mother wandering off from a school softball game. Imagine searching frantically for her for three years. Imagine her remains being found in the woods where she had died. This happened to Marianne Dickerman Caldwell's mother. Stella Mallory Dickerman was an educated woman who had gone back to get her Master's degree after having her children. She was a teacher, an artist, and a world-traveller. She also had Alzheimer's Disease. At age 83, on a September day in 1991, Stella went for a walk, and she was never seen again. Marianne Caldwell's book about this experience is not only is it a very poignant and personal story, but it also offers comfort and guidance to families who have experienced loss; and assistance for families who are searching for a missing loved one. With those she used for her mother, Marianne gives a sample query letter, missing persons profile, and letter to a medical examiner. She also lists the addresses and phone numbers for the Alzheimer's Association's Safe Return Program and for State Agencies on Aging, as well as other helpful organizations. Marianne is also the director of the, Home Safely Foundation and is the creator of Birthnet for Wanderers which is a free I.D. registry system for the dementia patient. Marianne's book, Gone Without a Trace, is available through Elder Books (Phone number: 1-800-909-COPE (2673)) If you would like to contact Marianne Caldwell, write to her at: P.O. Box 1625, Pacifica, CA 94044-06625
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