A revolutionary new form of caregiving that will transform the lives of millions of Alzheimer's patients and their families.
Alzheimer's: the word itself evokes powerful and fearful emotions. But at last there is hope in the form of a groundbreaking new approach to caretaking pioneered by an expert with first-hand experience of Alzheimer's devastating effects on both patient and carer.
Joanne Koenig Coste's husband was diagnosed with progressive dementia after the birth of their fourth child. As she struggled to care for him, she began to develop a simple but revolutionary approach that has transformed the lives of sufferers and their families.
In this book she unveils the "habilitation" approach, designed to enable the Alzheimer's patient to maintain dignity and allow both patient and caregiver to thrive, not just mark time. Refuting long accepted ideas, it shows carers how to change their notions about living with memory loss, such as learning to join patients in their sense of place and time, encouraging them to use their remaining skills to support a sense of self-worth and independence, how to adapt reactions to unfamiliar behaviour and to continue communicating by focusing on the patient's emotional language.
In Australia alone at least 1 million people are affected by Alzheimer's, as many again are in the early stages, and there are 20 times more carers than patients. There is still no prevention or cure, and in the next 20 years the incidence of Alzheimer's is predicted to increase by more than 100 per cent.
Practical, positive and compassionate, this book offers solutions where there were none, and a unique guide for survival.
