Features
- Cover Type: Paperback with 192 pages
- Published by: Mayo Clinic Trade Paper
- Edition: 1st Edition September 1, 2002
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 1893005224
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-1893005228
-
Book Dimensions:
9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
- Weighs: 10.6 ounces
From Library Journal
When a family member shows signs of a failing memory, most people look for basic, practical information to help them understand their relative's condition, find appropriate care, and make the best life possible for everyone concerned. This latest in the "Mayo Clinic Health Information" series is an great "getting started" introduction. Prepared by a variety of Mayo Clinic experts, it covers the basics of brain function; the causes, signs, and symptoms of late-life memory loss; how it is diagnosed; the latest in available treatments; and current research on promising new remedies, as well as details about the effects of memory disorders on the ill person, families, and caregivers. Most valuable is the "Quick Guide for Caregivers," offering an overview of medical complications, home safety, managing medications, and problem behaviors caused by failing memory, among other essential topics. Rounding out the text are a glossary, resource list, and narrative of one caregiver's experience (none of which was seen in the review galley). Experienced caregivers and others requiring in-depth information should look to Nancy Mace and Peter Rabins's The 36-Hour Day and Michael Castleman and others' There's Still a human being in There. Those unfamiliar with memory disorders are well served by this concise guide.
Karen McNally Bensing, Benjamin Rose Lib., Cleveland Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
This informative guide first explains how the brain works and then considers some of its aberrations. Several conditions can mimic
Alzheimer's, we discover, so that, for example, beginning to lose one's mnemonic capacity doesn't necessarily mean that
Alzheimer's is developing. We don't yet know
Alzheimer's cause or causes, though the book explores some possibilities. Then it describes a common course of the disease, noting that there are many variations in the kinds of symptoms manifested and the speed of their onset and progress. Current treatments are described, and present research and clinical trials discussed. Much of the rest of the book suggests how to handle various problems resulting from the disease--material that daily caregivers, especially, will value, as they will the additional advice on how to take care of themselves. The book concludes with remarks on planning for long-term care.
William BeattyCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Reader ReviewsI think I now have every book written on Alzheimer's, since I had two parents with it and felt compelled by the experience of caring for them to even write my own book on the subject, but Dr. Petersen has really put together a very comprehensive guide which you should have if you suspect that your loved one may be developing it. The behaviors caused by Alzheimer's are complex to understand and manage, but this book will help you through it. Jacqueline Marcell, Author, 'Elder Rage, or Take My Father...Please! How to Survive Caring For Aging Parents'. Also, Host of the 'Coping With Caregiving' Internet Radio Program
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