When Your Loved One Has Dementia

Book excerpt: Eighty percent of persons with dementia live at home, and the family members caring for them are often overwhelmed by the enormous responsibility and the complexities of care. This book is designed to support the caregivers and help them understand the needs and feelings of the person for whom they are caring. A central focus is the goal of sustaining a loving family relationship between the caregiver and the patient. Developed from a training program for professionals and family caregivers, this book teaches the basics of dementia care while emphasizing communication, understanding and acceptance, and personal growth through the caregiving experience. The result is a guide that integrates the practicalities of caregiving with the human emotions that accompany it.