A diagnosis of dementia in a loved one can be both frightening and frustrating. Only a biblical foundation fuels a Christian response that both honors the patient and glorifies God. Drawing on years of professional experience working with Alzheimer's patients, Dr. John Dunlop wants to transform the way we think about dementia. Rooting his vision of care in the inherent dignity that stems from the fact that all people are made in the image of God, he explains biblical principles, describes the experience of dementia, and answers common questions about the condition. With a plan for how to care for patients with compassion and respect, this book helps caregivers, family members, and anyone else affected by dementia honor God as they improve the quality of care to patients.

Winner of the Michael Ramsay Prize 2016 Dementia is one of the most feared diseases in Western society today. Some have even gone so far as to suggest euthanasia as a solution to the perceived indignity of memory loss and the disorientation that accompanies it. Here, John Swinton develops a practical theology of dementia for caregivers, people with dementia, ministers, hospital chaplains, and medical practitioners as he explores two primary questions: • Who am I when I’ve forgotten who I am? • What does it mean to love God and be loved by God when I have forgotten who God is? Offering compassionate and carefully considered theological and pastoral responses to dementia and forgetfulness, Swinton’s Dementia redefines dementia in light of the transformative counter story that is the gospel.

For the weary dementia or Alzheimer's caregiver If you are a caregiver to someone with Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia, you carry a heavy load. On top of having to watch someone you love suffer, you are probably losing sleep, growing frustrated, and struggling with loneliness or even depression. With little to no help and no time for a break, this unrelenting stress is hard to carry. Whether that’s you or someone you know, the caregiver needs care, too. Grace for the Unexpected Journey: A 60-Day Devotional for Alzheimer’s and Other Dementia Caregivers provides that support. Each daily devotion: Is short, ideal for demanding schedules Reflects on a relevant Scripture passage Features a relatable caregiving story Offers a key Scripture for meditation Debbie Barr is a speaker, health educator, and the author of multiple books, including Keeping Love Alive As Memory Fades (coauthored with New York Times bestselling author Gary Chapman). As a health educator with a deep concern and compassion for dementia caregivers, she saw their need for faith-based encouragement. With compassion and understanding she uses Scriptures to address their practical hardships and spiritual concerns. When the struggles seem insurmountable, this devotional offers strength. When stress floods in, it points to peace. And when darkness falls, it illuminates hope. Caregivers walk a long, difficult road. This devotional gives grace for their journey.

There Is Hope . . . When a patient is diagnosed with dementia, it impacts not only the patient but also those who care for them. It can be devastating to watch loved ones lose the independence, personality, and abilities that once defined them, knowing there is no cure. How should Christians respond to a diagnosis of dementia? Experienced geriatrician Dr. John Dunlop wants to transform the way we view dementia—showing us how God can be honored through such a tragedy as we respect the inherent dignity of all humans made in the image of God. Sharing stories from decades of experience with dementia patients, Dunlop provides readers, particularly caregivers, with a biblical lens through which to understand the experience and challenge of this life-altering disease. Finding Grace in the Face of Dementia will help you see God's purposes as you love and care for those with dementia.

Do you wonder where God is in Alzheimer's? Are you searching for hope in caregiving? I searched too--I lost both of my parents to Alzheimer's. They were its innocent victims. Caregiving for someone with Alzheimer's can be painfully brutal. We know how it ends. There is no cure. It doesn't get better. But I learned that we don't have to be defeated by it. And there is much grace and collateral beauty to be found in the journey. From broken memories to broken bones, Alzheimers catalyzed terror and defeat in my family. My parents were terrorized by the scrambling of their minds. We who loved them had to suffocate our feelings of defeat as they returned to innocence. As a caregiver, God allowed me to share in my parents passages back to undefeated innocence. I gained loving moments that I would have missed if I hadnt been involved and if I hadnt taken up the proper vantage point to see them. Undefeated Innocence offers hope to caregivers by weaving poignant personal experiences, humor, and biblical stories with a study of the Beatitudes. It answers Where is God? in Alzheimers. It confirms that caregiving experiences are abnormally normal, and its okay to store toothpaste in an underwear drawer. Undefeated Innocence reveals Gods grace through the storms and affirms that caregivers are not alone in wondering if life can return to a place of peace.

Caregiver Shouse celebrates spiritual and practical lessons learned on her unscripted yet rewarding journey with her mother through Alzheimer's disease.

Finding Grace in Caregiving arises out of Bradley Hanson’s quest for grace in caregiving his wife, Marion, who has Alzheimer’s Disease. Hanson knows from long experience that caregiving someone with dementia is very tiring and stressful. In search of spiritual practices that would foster patience and kindness, he turned to Scripture for guidance. The heart of the book is reflection on the qualities that St. Paul calls the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, and gentleness. Drawing also on his personal interviews with others across the country who care for someone with some form of dementia, Hanson gives caregivers encouragement, guidance, and hope. Those of us who do long-term caring for someone with dementia, whether we are a family member or professional caregiver, generally try to be patient and kind. Yet the stress and fatigue of long-term caregiving may lead us at times to erupt with anger. Since caring for his beloved wife, Marion, since her Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2010, Brad Hanson has looked to what St. Paul calls the fruit of the Spirit in strengthening his kindness.