Abcs for Dementia Caregivers: A Handbook for Caregivers

Anyone associated with dementia knows the pain and agony of watching (and trying to help) someone they love leave them a bit at a time. Th e loved one goes from the Adult stage to the Belligerent stage to the Care needing stage. Nothing is right, nothing is good enough and the person being cared for is not grateful for all the eff ort. At times, caregiving for a dementia patient feels like a black hole with no end in sight. In the ABC for Dementia Caregivers, the authors recount what they learned, inch by painful inch. Hopefully this book can offer you suggestions that may help you care for your beloved. Th e book is filled with the stories of spouses and close friends who all succumbed to dementia. Some of the stories are painful, some are humorous. All are intended to give you the emotional lift that will help you through one more difficult day. Patrice Gapen's best friend and Matron of Honor at her wedding began imagining things, awful things: abuse, hitmen chasing her, other guys kidnapping her. Her husband, Michael Hand, (the coauthor) knew she was safe at home, as he was with her. At the same time, Ms. Gapen's husband had a major stroke resulting in an emergency helicopter transport to a larger city. All this brought her many questions. Will he survive? What will his survival look like? Who should she call? What kind of funeral does he want? Her mind was spinning faster and faster and she drove faster and faster. Her husband survived but was totally paralyzed on one side. Mr. Hand's wife continued to hallucinate, requiring more and more care. Th us, the authors began the long trek of doctor's appointments, pharmacy trips, physical therapy appointments and a series of diagnoses. During all this, they continued working, juggling assignments, dealing with cranky coworkers and unhappy bosses when they were gone yet again.