Books are an important resource for the families of individuals with Alzheimer's disease or related memory disorders.
They offer a wealth of information on all aspects of the disease – its causes and symptoms, how it is diagnosed, available treatments, behavior changes, creating safe, secure environments at home, and how families can choose and evaluate a long-term care facility.
Here is a list of 10 popular, authoritative, and readable books for caregivers on Alzheimer's and memory loss caregivers can borrow from public libraries or purchase for their own use.
Alzheimer's for Dummies: A Reference for the Rest of Us.
Patricia B. Smith, Mary Mitchell Kenan, PsyD, Mark Edwin Kunik, MD, MPH, Foreward by Leeza Gibbons. Wiley Publishing, 2004.
Written by experts in caring for people with Alzheimer's this book is an excellent reference for families who new to caring for someone with memory loss and have little or no information about memory disorders. This easy-to-read book covers such essential topics as disease causes, its symptoms and stages, available treatments, making medical decisions, legal and financial planning, driving concerns, activities and exercise, caring for the caregiver, and useful internet resources. The book's easy-to-read, straight-forward approach to caregiving make it an excellent reference for caregivers.
Caring for a Person with Alzheimer's Disease: Your Easy-to-Use Guide from the National Institute on Aging
Alzheimer's Disease Education Center, May 2009.
This reader-friendly guide to Alzheimer's is an excellent publication for families who know little or nothing about managing the everyday tasks and challenges of caring for a person with memory loss. It provides basic information about the disease, the changes it causes in personality and behavior, home safety tips, helping friends and relatives understand Alzheimer's. Also included are suggestions for finding family support groups, community services and other resources to help caregivers provide the best care possible for their older family member. Free copies of the publication are available by calling 1-800-438-4380 or www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers.
The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer's Disease, Other Dementias, and memory Loss in Later Life, 4th ed.
Nancy L. Mace, Peter V. Rabins, M.D. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006
First published in 1981, The 26-Hour Day is among the first comprehensive resources for caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease and remains one of the best and most popular books on this subject. It covers evaluating and diagnosing memory loss, behavioral symptoms, making the transition from independent living to supervised care by families or professionals, managing activities of daily living – personal hygiene, falls and balance problems, nutrition and eating, and exercise; household hazards, behavioral and health problems, getting outside help, balancing caregiving and family responsibilities, managing caregiver emotions, legal and financial issues, long-term care choices, possible causes of dementia, and current research. Also included are a list of organizations and tips for using the internet. The book can be read in its entirety or used as a quick reference resource.
Keeping Busy…A Handbook of Activities for Persons with Dementia.
James R. Dowling. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995.
People with memory loss – especially in the early stages of the disease -- get bored just like everyone else. Their families may be hard-pressed to find appropriate activities to keep them busy and prevent boredom. Dowling, a nursing home activities specialist, shares activities he devised to keep residents alert and engaged in life including word games, music, art, gardening and cooking. Although written for nursing home staff many of Dowling's activities can also be used by families.
Coach Broyles' Playbook for Alzheimer's Caregivers: A Practical Tips Guide.
When Frank Broyles (athletic director for the University of Arkansas) wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer's he knew nothing about the disease or how it would affect their lives. Based on the couple's experiences they created a "playbook" of the information, tips and techniques for caring for people with memory loss along with tips to help families cope with the emotions and frustrations that caregiving can bring. Easy to read with touches of humor, the book provides essential information for each stage of the disease and numerous tips what the coach and his wife learned from their own experiences. The complete Playbook or individual chapters can be downloaded from the Alzheimer's Association website (www.alz.org) or purchased from the Association for $12.00.
Talking to Alzheimer's: Simple Ways to Connect When You Visit with a Family Member or Friend.
Claudia J. Strauss. New Harbinger Publications, 2001
Friends, family members, neighbors and others who aren't used to talking to people with memory disorders often find it hard to know what to say to them when they visit them in nursing homes or are invited to the older person's home. Strauss, a communication consultant and English professor, observed that many nursing home visitors have trouble knowing what to talk about with their friends or family members – and their resident relatives don't always know what to say to their visitors either. Her book offers much useful information for nursing home visitors: tips for starting (and ending) conversations, changing the subject if it upsets or angers the resident, saying goodbye when its time for the visitor to leave, what to say if the resident repeatedly asks to go home. She also includes a list of visitor "do's and don'ts": (Don't ask the resident what she had for lunch.), and suggestions for things the two of you can enjoy together (looking at flower and seed catalogs, family photos, listening to often-told stories.) This book is worthwhile reading for anyone who spends time with an older adult.
The Alzheimer's Advisor: A Caregiver's Guide to Dealing with the Tough Legal and Practical Issues.
Vaughn E. James. New Harbinger Publications, 2009.
Alzheimer's and related memory disorders affects the decision-making abilities of the person with the disease. Frequently caregivers are so concerned about the diagnosis, evaluating treatment options, and how they will manage their relative's care that they overlook the legal and financial issues of the disease. James, a professor of law at Texas Tech University, has compiled a wealth of information that will help caregivers understand and cope with a wide variety of legal issues – estate planning, guardianship, advance directives, daily financial management, liability issues if an older relative can no longer continue to drive and continues to do so, and financing long-term care. This one-of-a kind book is essential reading for families of people with memory disorders.
The House on Beartown Road: A Memoir of Learning and Forgetting.
Elizabeth Cohen. Random House, 2003.
After her husband abandons her, Cohen finds herself living in an old farmhouse with a toddler who is developing rapidly both physically and mentally while her elderly father in the beginning stages of Alzheimer's disease is beginning to decline both mentally and physically. When the small family was housebound during their first winter together, Cohen observed her father's gradually declining memory and increasing forgetfulness at the same time her daughter's memory and ability to learn rapidly increased. This wonderful book offers a vivid observation of the growth and decline of mental abilities during the course of a lifetime.
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