According to recent estimates, more than five million Americans suffer from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, a number predicted to grow as Baby Boomers continue to age. Although staggering, these statistics only tell half of the story. As caregivers are thrust into situations they never could have predicted, the emotional, physical, and financial strains are enormous and cannot be overestimated. As the number of dementia patients continues to increase, so will the number of caregivers searching for answers and advice. Creating Joy and Meaning for the Dementia Patient offers a positive and innovative approach to dementia care that focuses on the caregiver’s power to create an atmosphere of joy and peace for both the patient and themselves, breathing fresh air into the topic of dementia care. As the disease progresses, the patient’s world grows smaller and smaller. Time for them no longer consists of weeks, days, or even hours. Eventually their cognitive life is reduced to small increments of time, mere moments of memory. By understanding this and seeing the world through the eyes of a sufferer, the caregiver is better able to create an environment of mutual joy and contentment. Based on ten years of caregiving experience, the techniques offered here honor the patient’s individuality, interests, and previous accomplishments. This approach is fresh and inspirational, and recounts a personal journey, filled with relatable experiences that readers will find uplifting and brimming with hope. It teaches family members and other caregivers how to stay connected with their loved one for as long as possible. But most importantly, it honors the unique individual that still resides deep inside every dementia patient by offering techniques enabling them to continue to experience the simple joys of everyday life.

A guide to lightening the lives of those with short-term memory loss. The book breaks down the learning process into five sections. Within these sections are smaller steps, and at the end of each step is a place to journal thoughts, ideas, solutions and treasures.

Jolene Brackey has a vision. A vision that will soon look beyond the challenges of Alzheimer's disease and focus more of our energy on creating moments of joy. When a person has short-term memory loss, his life is made up of moments. But if you think about it, our memory is made up of moments, too. We are not able to create a perfectly wonderful day with someone who has dementia, but it is absolutely attainable to create a perfectly wonderful moment; a moment that puts a smile on their face, a twinkle in their eye, or triggers a memory. Five minutes later, they won't remember what you did or said, but the feeling you left them with will linger.

The beloved best seller has been revised and expanded for the fifth edition. Jolene Brackey has a vision: that we will soon look beyond the challenges of Alzheimer's disease to focus more of our energies on creating moments of joy. When people have short-term memory loss, their lives are made up of moments. We are not able to create perfectly wonderful days for people with dementia or Alzheimer's, but we can create perfectly wonderful moments, moments that put a smile on their faces and a twinkle in their eyes. Five minutes later, they will not remember what we did or said, but the feeling that we left them with will linger. The new edition of Creating Moments of Joy is filled with more practical advice sprinkled with hope, encouragement, new stories, and generous helpings of humor. In this volume, Brackey reveals that our greatest teacher is having cared for and loved someone with Alzheimer's and that often what we have most to learn about is ourselves.

Here's a hope-filled book about Alzheimer's caregiving. It was written by Marie Marley, PhD - a well-known author on dementia issues - and neurologist Daniel C. Potts, MD, FAAN, both experts on caregiving. With a Foreword by Maria Shriver, this groundbreaking volume will give you hope in the midst of the darkness of Alzheimer's and other dementias. You can come to terms with your loved one's condition and free yourself to experience joyous interactions. Part I covers a variety of issues, such as the authors' belief that people with Alzheimer's can still enjoy life, how to overcome denial, five especially difficult situations, the role of grief on the journey to acceptance, and letting go of resentment through making peace with God. In Part II the authors provide 55 helpful tips for visiting people with Alzheimer's. Part III consists of numerous short stories illustrating the authors' joyous interactions with their loved ones. The stories will warm your heart and light your way along the path to achieving true joy.

A diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer's disease doesn't mean you have to give up everything you love. For those who enjoy travel, and want to continue to do so, Travel Well with Dementia: Essential Tips to Enjoy the Journey is a must-read both for patients and their loved ones. Whether visiting family and friends or venturing to a new location for fun, it's packed with practical tips and strategies that will remove many of the stressors created by travel. Find confidence in your ability to stayed engaged with people and places that matter--and continue to create memories It may be difficult to imagine having a fun, successful trip if you're a person living with dementia, or someone caring for an affected person. Whether early in the diagnosis or further along the path of progression, with thoughtful preparation and adaptations travel is possible for many. This is the first book of its kind that considers what people living with dementia may experience during travel and helps travel companions know what to expect before, during, and after a trip. Embrace the concept that it is possible to live well with dementia, and find joy, purpose, and meaning along the way.

A guide to more successful communication for the millions of Americans caring for someone with dementia: “Offers a fresh approach and hope.”—NPR Revolutionizing the way we perceive and live with Alzheimer’s, Joanne Koenig Coste offers a practical approach to the emotional well-being of both patients and caregivers that emphasizes relating to patients in their own reality. Her accessible and comprehensive method, which she calls habilitation, works to enhance communication between care partners and patients and has proven successful with thousands of people living with dementia. Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s also offers hundreds of practical tips, including how to: · cope with the diagnosis and adjust to the disease’s progression · help the patient talk about the illness · face the issue of driving · make meals and bath times as pleasant as possible · adjust room design for the patient’s comfort · deal with wandering, paranoia, and aggression “A fine addition to Alzheimer's and caregiving collections.”—Library Journal (starred review) “Promises to transform not only the lives of patients but those of care providers…This book is a gift.”—Sue Levkoff, coauthor of Aging Well