If you’re a reader, Alzheimer’s books are an easy way to educate yourself about your loved one’s disease. There are literally hundreds of Alzheimer’s books flooding the market today, everything from highly personal accounts of people suffering from the disease to the ubiquitous Alzheimer’s for Dummies.
Which Alzheimer’s books you choose to read is largely a matter of personal taste. The following five are classics that all address different aspects of Alzheimer’s disease.
The Thirty-Six Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for Persons with Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementing Illnesses, and Memory Loss Later in Life by Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rabins
If you never spend money on another Alzheimer’s book, make sure you buy this one. It is the Bible of Alzheimer’s care, full of advice and sympathetic support from caregivers who’ve been there. Does your loved one try to remove his clothes in public? Does she wander at night? Is he refusing baths? Is she refusing food? Whatever the problem, this down-to-earth guide addresses it with both tenderness and frankness.
Talking to Alzheimer’s: Simple Ways to Connect When You Visit With A Family Member or Friend by Claudia J. Strauss
This Alzheimer’s book provides simple, compassionate conversation starters to help you communicate with your loved one in a nursing home. If she doesn’t talk much, or if he always begs to be allowed to come home with you, this book will offer you gentle suggestions for easing the tension and finding more pleasant topics of conversation. If you’ve been avoiding visiting your loved one because you don’t know what to say, this addition to your library is a must.
Alzheimer’s Activities: Hundreds of Activities for Men and Women with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders by B.J. Fitzray
“Mom just sits there all day doing nothing.” If this is your complaint, then this Alzheimer’s book is definitely worth checking into. Suggested activities range from elaborate outings and gourmet baking projects to simple tasks like folding clothes or drying dishes. And, with a hundred activities to choose from, you’re sure to find at least a few that will spark your loved one’s interest.
Your Name Is Hughes Hannibal Shanks: A Caregiver’s Guide to Alzheimer’s by Lela Knox Shanks and Steven H. Zarit
This book is written from the point of view of a woman who cared for her Alzheimer’s-stricken husband at home. The tone is supportive, candid, and matter-of-fact. Mrs. Shanks never slips into self pity as she admits her mistakes and details her triumphs. If you find comfort in reading about people who have successfully walked the path that you are on, this is the Alzheimer’s book for you.
The Forgetting: Alzheimer’s: Portrait of an Epidemic by David Shenk.
Far from being dry and academic, this history of Alzheimer’s disease reads more like a suspense novel. Shenk details the first diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, current methods of treatment and support, and cutting edge scientific research.
This list of Alzheimer’s books offers some suggestions to get your library started. As you look through the available literature, you’ll probably find some of your own favorites to add. Whether you’re into holistic treatment methods or scientific explanations, there’s an Alzheimer’s book out there for you.
