Dr. Ruth's Guide for the Alzheimer's Caregivers: How To Care for Your Loved One Without Getting Overwhelmed…and Without Doing It All Yourself

Iconic sex therapist Westheimer (coauthor, Sex For Dummies) has done it again! Thanks to this celebrity author's knack for making readers feel at ease with some of their most personal questions, families dealing with Alzheimer's disease now have a down-to-earth guide to help them. Caregivers (and their attendant questions and needs) are the focus of this work, but anyone who wants to know more about Alzheimer's will find it useful and informative. Caregiving for spouses and parents are detailed in separate chapters, as is the topic of dealing with professional caregivers. Most valuable is the chapter discussing how to help children and grandchildren cope with the parent or grandparent who is changing in ways youngsters may not understand. Part 1 provides information but focuses on the emotional needs of families dealing with this tragic disease. Part 2 is more factual and discusses practical issues, such as sundowner's syndrome, how to "elder-proof" your home, how to communicate effectively with a person with Alzheimer's, the inheritability of the disease, and current treatments.