The Dementia Caregiver: A Guide to Caring for Someone with Alzheimer’s Disease

After caring for a parent with deadly Alzheimer’s disease, I found Marc Agronin’s new book matched my observations and experience. In The Dementia Caregiver, Agronin, an adult and geriatric psychiatrist with significant credentials, shares what he’s learned from patients and their families, providing a valuable guide. Really, the book should be required reading for everyone over the age of sixty-five because of the likelihood of having to deal with Alzheimer’s firsthand — although the book is aimed more at those younger adults who will have to contend with the disease in their parents or grandparents. But, to be accurate, The Dementia Caregiver is not just about Alzheimer’s, but about neurocognitive disorders overall. Agronin points out that the term neurocognitive disorder is becoming a replacement for dementia to reduce stigma and to emphasize the impact on both the brain and mind. And among these types of disorder, Alzheimer’s represents about seventy percent of cases; meanwhile, vascular dementia represents about ten to twenty percent, frontotemporal dementia about three to ten percent, and Lewy bodies dementia about five to seven percent. Agronin devotes a chapter to each, explaining the differences between the various diseases, and showing that even two people with the same disease can experience them differently. The book is full of medical information, but Agronin writes in a readable style using everyday, accessible words. And although the like...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Aging Alzheimer's Book Reviews Caregivers Family General Holiday Coping Self-Help Seniors books on alzheimers books on neurocognitive disorders caring for aging parents caring for dementia guide to caring for someone with alzheim Source Type: news