Surviving Dementia Care is a compassionate and insightful guide for anyone navigating the challenging journey of caring for a loved one with dementia. Drawing on research from information studies, literary studies, and interviews with family caregivers, this book reimagines dementia care – not as a set of skills to master, but as a deeply human experience to endure and understand.
To make sense of the copious information on dementia, the book introduces four distinct modes of understanding dementia care, each offering a unique perspective and source of strength. The Describing mode helps caregivers grasp the medical realities of dementia. The Understanding mode addresses the shifting landscape of communication as cognitive abilities change. The Advocating mode guides readers through the complexities and anxieties of securing proper care within an often-confusing health care system. Finally, the Imagining mode reveals how creativity can foster moments of joy and connection, even in the midst of loss.
By filtering the vast array of information on dementia through these practical and empathetic modes, Surviving Dementia Care empowers caregivers to find the guidance they need at each stage of the journey, avoid information overload, and preserve the loving bonds that inspired their caregiving in the first place.