Hiding the Stranger in the Mirror: A Detective's Manual for Solving Problems Associated with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders

In Hiding the Stranger in the Mirror, Dr. Cameron Camp writes with wit and compassion, aiming to help his audience better understand how dementia affects memory, and how memory loss may affect behavior. Going against conventional wisdom, the author stresses that the key to successfully caring for persons with dementia is to focus on their strengths rather than their weaknesses---to see the person and not the disease. His entertaining and insightful book examines cases based on real individuals to illustrate common challenging behaviors and how to approach these challenges. Readers act as detectives and are given the tools and the resources to understand why persons with dementia do what they do, and how to solve their own cases. More importantly, the stories lead the reader to new ideas, new ways of thinking, and a new attitude towards persons with dementia.

Cameron J. Camp, Ph.D. is a noted psychologist specializing in applied research. He is Owner and Director of Research of the Center for Applied Research in Dementia, in Solon, Ohio. Previously he served as Director of Research and Product Development for Hearthstone Alzheimer Care, and Director of the Myers Research Institute of the Menorah Park Center for Senior Living. Dr. Camp gives workshops on designing cognitive and behavioral interventions for dementia internationally. Dr. Camp received his doctorate in experimental psychology from the University of Houston in 1979. For 16 years he served in academic settings, teaching coursework in adult development and aging and rising to the position of Research Professor of Psychology. He has co-authored three college textbooks and published over 100 articles in journals. He is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, a Charter Member of the Association for Psychological Science, and formerly served as president of Division 20 (Adult Development and Aging) of the American Psychological Association. His research has been funded by grants from the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the national Alzheimers Association.