Synopsis
This book looks comprehensively at all the steps that occur in dementias and Alzheimer’s Disease. In my own experience with this and in counseling, supporting, and working with others who are going through these steps, I realized there is a basic lack of comprehension about the big picture of how these neurological diseases progress. I know that because the same questions get asked and answered over and over again. My purpose is to ask those questions and answer them in a way that, first, makes sense, and, second, works for everybody involved. I know. I've been on the caregiving side of the equation personally. There were no books like this when I did it, so I had to learn on my own and figure out what worked and what didn't. I made mistakes. You'll make mistakes. But, in the end, my mom and whoever you love and are caring for, got the best we have to give and we can learn some pretty incredible and good life lessons along the way. If you don't read another book on this subject, you should read this one. I don't have all the answers, but the answers I have learned are the ones that probably matter most. Not just now, but for the rest of our lives.
About the Author
My professional background is as a leader. My personal background, it turns out, is the same. I've always been a writer, but never really committed to it until I started a personal blog in 2008. I then began blogging on leadership in 2010. After my mom died in August 2012 from congestive heart failure (she also had vascular dementia, Lewy Body dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease), my first venture into writing was to do a memoir about my dad, her, and our family. I wrote a few leadership books after that, but in June 2013 I decided I needed to dedicate a large portion of my writing energy to education about dementias and Alzheimer's Disease, caregiving, and understanding what's really going on with the neurological diseases. I wrote "Going Gentle Into That Good Night," then started a companion blog of the same name to continue to educate. I also started a caregiving group on Facebook and joined several support groups for dementia and Alzheimer's Disease. As I saw - and answered - many of the questions newcomers to these groups had, I realized how little actual and practical education about the steps of these neurological diseases existed. And that is where "You Oughta Know: Acknowledging, Recognizing, and Responding to the Steps in the Journey Through Dementias and Alzheimer's Disease" was born.
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