The Family Guide to Dementia Caregiving

When someone we love is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body disease, or another form of dementia, we're faced with more questions than answers. What is happening inside my loved one's brain? Why did this happen? Will I develop the disease? What should we expect in the days to come? And how can I care for them and show them the love they deserve?This informal, engaging book explains normal aging and the process of dementia in easy-to-understand terms. You'll learn some of the fundamentals of brain functioning and how it changes as we age, and how these natural changes can be disrupted by genetics and inflammation; the biology of five common types of dementia and how this biology contributes to some of your loved one's odd behaviors and other symptoms, and how you can prepare for and respond to those behaviors. You'll be introduced to all the professionals who can help you and your loved one throughout the process. And you'll discover some tools and techniques to make life easier for you both. Along the way, you'll find out:Why you shouldn't (necessarily) be afraid of getting olderHow you might stave off the symptoms of aging and disease through healthy habitsWhen "senior moments" might be cause for concern and when to seek helpThe biology and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, mixed dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and Lewy body disease — and how these diseases evolve and what to expectCommon medications and how they workRecruiting friends, family, and community as a support systemMedicare, Medicaid, living wills, and estate planningTaking care of yourself, improving your quality of life, and dealing with griefImportant concepts and vocabulary are helpfully summarized in the page margins as well as a Glossary for easy reference. The Family Guide to Dementia Caregiving also includes resources for activity and bonding ideas, seeking community support, and self-care strategies to help you be the best caregiver you can be.Jeremy L. Smith, Ph.D., MSDS, MAMFT, CHT, is a licensed psychotherapist (MAMFT), certified clinical hypnotherapist (CHT), and active research neuroscientist (Ph.D.) living and practicing in Washington state. He has published or contributed to a large body of research work in traumatic brain injury, aging, stroke, chronic pain, schizophrenia, the biological effects of mindfulness meditation, and, yes, Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia. His broad experience in tailoring teaching to different audiences — from working as a STEM teacher for preschool and elementary-age students to serving as a professor of machine learning to graduate students — is evident in his easy, conversational style. The Family Guide to Dementia Caregiving shines with humor, compassion, and expertise from cover to cover, a labor of love and a gift to everyone who is, has been, or will be, touched by one of these terrible diseases. Read more