Caring for a parent with dementia presents unique challenges--Mom or Dad so plainly needs assistance, but is confused, sometimes angry, and often resistant to help. How can caregivers get the vital information they need, when they need it? Journalist Thomas Harrison and leading geriatric psychiatrist Brent Forester show that you don't have to be a medical expert to be a good care provider in this authoritative guide. They explain the basics of dementia and offer effective strategies for coping with the medical, emotional, and financial toll. With the right skills, caregivers can navigate changing family roles, communicate better with the elder with dementia, keep them safe, and manage difficult behaviors. Readers learn to "care smarter, not harder," to help their loved one maintain the best possible quality of life.
Thomas F. Harrison is a professional writer and the former editor of a national periodical for attorneys. Based in Massachusetts, he is coauthor of The Complete Family Guide to Dementia and The Complete Family Guide to Addiction. Brent P. Forester, MD, MSc, is Chief of Geriatric Psychiatry at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is also Medical Director for Behavioral Health Integration at Mass General Brigham, where he leads two system-wide initiatives to enhance clinical care for individuals with dementia while supporting family caregivers. Dr. Forester's award-winning research focuses on developing and testing effective treatments for dementia and mood disorders in older adults.
Introduction I. Understanding Your Parent's Dementia 1. What Is Dementia? How Is It Different from Just Getting Older? 2. How Can I Know for Sure If My Parent Has Dementia? 3. What Causes Memory Loss: Alzheimer's Disease and the Many Other Causes 4. What You Can Expect: How the Problem Typically Progresses 5. Can Dementia Be Treated to Make It Less Severe? II. Understanding Your New Relationship with Your Parent 6. Why Caring for Parents with Dementia Is So Much Harder than Caring for Parents with Other Diseases 7. The Biggest Mistake Family Members Make 8. Your New Relationship with Your Parent 9. Your Relationship with Your Other Parent or Stepparent 10. Taking Care of Yourself Is Not an Afterthought III. Caring Smarter, Not Harder 11. What It Means to Care Smarter 12. How to Communicate with a Parent with Dementia 13. Avoiding Headaches with Your Parent's Finances 14. When Is It Okay to Lie to Your Parent? 15. Keeping Your Parent Safe at Home 16. Getting Help When Your Parent Lives at Home or with You 17. How to Take Away the Car Keys 18. What Causes Problem Behaviors 19. How to Reduce Problem Behaviors 20. How to Handle Problem Behaviors When They Occur 21. Responding to Your Other Family Members and Friends IV. The Later Stages 22. Moving Your Parent to a Care Facility 23. How to Choose a Care Facility 24. How Am I Going to Pay for All This? 25. Your Relationship with Your Parent in a Care Facility 26. Dealing with the End of Life Resources Notes Index
"This book is a lifesaver. In down-to-earth language, it deftly captures the latest expert advice about dementia care. Dr. Forrester brilliantly cared for my wife with dementia-and taught me, her chief care partner, how to survive and thrive."--Jerry M., Cambridge, Massachusetts "What a fantastic guide! The book empowers and validates caregivers. You will get needed answers and guidance, and ways to reduce fears and anxieties. Relatable, authentic, practical--this is the book I wish I'd had when my mother was diagnosed."--Karen F., Marblehead, Massachusetts "For the adult child of a parent with dementia, the emotional impact is unlike any other disease. This reassuring book helps you navigate your new role in your relationship with your parent and provides concrete, useful advice for managing common concerns. The authors show how 'working smarter' can enhance your loved one's quality of life. It is sure to be a trusted guidebook and companion."--Susan W. Lehmann, MD, Clinical Director, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine "Two dedicated experts walk caregivers through everything from understanding a loved one's diagnosis to dealing with the entire range of expected medical, psychiatric, and behavioral issues. Most important, this book is a guide to building the best possible relationship with the person who is living and even thriving in spite of their cognitive changes."--Marc E. Agronin, MD, author of The End of Old Age: Living a Longer, More Purposeful Life "This wonderful book speaks directly to adult children caring for a parent with dementia, and gives equal weight to the facts, the feelings, and the often bumpy road to understanding, acceptance, and effective care. The sections on how to communicate and resolve conflicts with the 'other' parent--the one who doesn't have dementia--are unique. Above all, this book shows us how to focus on the feelings--our own, our siblings', and our parents'--that are at the heart of caregiving but can give us the biggest challenges."--Soo Borson, MD, Professor of Clinical Family Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine; Professor Emerita of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington-
