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![]() by - Julie Fleming One of my favorite Alzheimer’s resources is The Best Friends Approach to Alzheimer’s Care, along with other books in the Best Friends series, including Best Friends Book of Alzheimer’s Activities, Volume One and Best Friends Book of Alzheimer’s Activities, Volume Two. I loved these books because the focus is on learning about people with Alzheimer’s, their histories and preferences, and then designing a care plan specifically for them. You may be in the best position to provide information about your parent, and reading this book will jog your memory. Even tiny details like knowing whether your parent prefers to sleep under a blanket or not will help your parent be more comfortable, and you must become both your parent’s external memory and his or her advocate. The Best Friends Approach will assist you in that process, and the activity books include fun ideas for people with all stages of dementia. I particularly appreciated these activity books because they intentionally included activities more typical for male interests, which many other activity books overlook. by - Julie Fleming ![]() Surviving Alzheimer’s: Practical Tips and Soul-Saving Wisdom for Caregivers appealed to me largely because I found it at a time when I wasn’t sure I would survive my father’s illness. It offers bite-sized tips and stories with support and instruction, making it easy to read in short bits of time. I also appreciated the emphasis on addressing stress and increasing quality of life for both the person with Alzheimer’s and those caring for him. The book teaches a problem-solving framework that will support you throughout your caregiving. ![]() by - Julie Fleming I highlighted A Caregiver’s Guide to Alzheimer’s Disease and read back through my highlights periodically to refresh my own memory. Logically organized, you’ll find it worthwhile to read through the book and then make your own lists of practices to adopt. It’s easy to dip in and out, which makes reading it feasible even if you only have a couple of minutes at a time. Alzheimer’s Early Stages: First Steps for Family, Friends, and Caregivers by Daniel Kuhn, MSW9/13/2015 ![]() by - Julie Fleming When I found Early Stages, my father had progressed through the stages it addresses. But the lessons are useful even later in the disease because it’s important to understand the progression. It won’t carry you into the depths of caring for your loved one who has the disease, but it will give you a necessary foundation, and if your parent is in the early stages of the disease, this is a must-read book. ![]() by - Julie Fleming I both loved and hated Creating Moments of Joy. If you’re struggling, it may seem unrealistic to imagine moments of joy. However, this book really does offer a blueprint for how you can create joy through understanding. Numerous examples will help you to apply the book’s ideas to your parent. Read it when you’re at neutral or even in a positive frame of mind — but read it. ![]() by - Julie Fleming Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s does exactly as its title suggests: it will teach you how to speak with your parent using language and other communication techniques that people with Alzheimer’s can more readily understand. The key point: do not try to correct or re-orient your parent with Alzheimer’s Disease, but enter their world instead. The sooner you can absorb this lesson, the less difficult your life will be. by Julie Fleming
Teepa Snow is one of the best Alzheimer’s educators I’ve ever met. She combines a deep understanding of the science behind the disease with an equally deep understanding of people, and the result is a caring and effective approach to caring for those who have Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias. The video Challenging Behaviors will walk you through how to think about troubling behaviors and how to solve the needs that underlie them. I highly recommend all of Teepa Snow’s training DVDs, which you can find here. ![]() by - Julie Fleming The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide for Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementias, and Memory Loss is the classic go-go book on Alzheimer’s Disease, with many editions in print. It discusses the nature and progression of Alzheimer’s Disease, offers help for medical and behavioral issues, make decisions concerning care and living arrangements, and find support as a caregiver. The 36-Hour Day is useful because it describes everything that may happen in the course of the disease. That strength, however, is what will break your heart as a caregiver. I urge you to use the book as a reference and not to read it cover to cover, because much of what is described may never happen to your parent and reading the parade of horribles is too much to bear. ![]() by - Julie Fleming I like I’m Still Here: A New Philosophy of Alzheimer’s Care because it explicitly counters the line you’ll hear over and over: “he just isn’t himself anymore.” My belief is that someone who has Alzheimer’s Disease is still himself, just different. The kernel of who your parent is will remain even though you often may be unable to find it. This book operates from the same philosophy and addresses how to access the abilities that remain as the disease progresses. |
Author: Julie FlemingJulie has been providing love & care for her father, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in the fall of 2011. And she's had to learn it all the hard way. Sound familiar? Archives
March 2019
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