Keeping Love Alive as Memories Fade: The 5 Love Languages and the Alzheimer's Journey - Softcover

Debbie Barr; Shaw, Edward G.; Chapman, Gary D.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0802414508 ISBN 13: 9780802414502

Publisher: Northfield Publishing, 2016

Synopsis

Across America and around the world, the five love languages have revitalized relationships and saved marriages from the brink of disaster. Can they also help individuals, couples, and families cope with the devastating diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD)?

Coauthors Chapman, Shaw, and Barr give a resounding yes. Their innovative application of the five love languages creates an entirely new way to touch the lives of the five million Americans who have Alzheimer’s, as well as their fifteen million caregivers. At its heart, this book is about how love gently lifts a corner of dementia’s dark curtain to cultivate an emotional connection amid memory loss.

This collaborative, groundbreaking work between a healthcare professional, caregiver, and relationship expert will: Provide an overview of the love languages and Alzheimer’s disease, correlate the love languages with the developments of the stages of AD, discuss how both the caregiver and care receiver can apply the love languages, address the challenges and stresses of the caregiver journey, offer personal stories and case studies about maintaining emotional intimacy amidst AD. Keeping Love Alive as Memories Fade is heartfelt and easy to apply, providing gentle, focused help for those feeling overwhelmed by the relational toll of Alzheimer’s. Its principles have already helped hundreds of families, and it can help yours, too.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

“Through stories that are moving and unflinching, Keeping Love Alive as Memories Fade shows how love can persist even as dementia gradually erodes memory and physical abilities. It offers powerful testimony to the lasting nature and immense power of human relationships.” — Peter V. Rabins, MD, MPH; coauthor, The 36-Hour Day

If you’re reading this, you may have a loved one suffering from dementia, and you’re looking for hope. The disease has already taken so much, and though you’re determined to fight, you’re weary. Keeping Love Alive as Memories Fade will renew your strength. With guidance from professionals and stories of committed caregivers, you’ll learn how others have braved the road ahead, and how you can, too. Using the five love languages and other creative ideas, you can discover, like many others, the resilient power of love.

About the Author:

GARY CHAPMAN--author, speaker, counselor--has a passion for people and for helping them form lasting relationships. He is the #1 bestselling author of The 5 Love Languages series and director of Marriage and Family Life Consultants, Inc. Gary travels the world presenting seminars, and his radio programs air on more than 400 stations. For more information visit his website at 5lovelanguages.com.

EDWARD G. SHAW, MD, MA, is dually trained as a physician and a mental health counselor. He is the primary care partner for his wife, Rebecca, who was diagnosed with eary-onset Alzheimer's disease at age 54. He was a practicing radiation oncologist for 23 years. In 2010, inspired by Rebecca's journey, his medical interest shifted to dementia diagnosis and treatment, and with his additional training in mental health counseling, he founded the Memory Counseling Program that is now part of Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. His moving personal story of caring for his wife, coupled with his innovative use of the five love languages in dementia counseling, inspired the central message of Keeping Love Alive as Memories Fade.

DEBORAH BARR is a versatile writer, speaker, and health educator. A master certified health education specialist (MCHES), she also has a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master's degree in health education and promotion. An experienced wellness writer and speaker, Deborah volunteers as a community educator for the Western Carolina chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. Like Drs. Chapman and Shaw, she lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Keeping Love Alive as Memories Fade is her fourth book.

About this edition

• Publisher: Northfield Publishing
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0802414508
• ISBN 13: 9780802414502
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240