Dignity For Deeply Forgetful People

For caregivers of deeply forgetful people: a book that combines new ethics guidelines with an innovative program on how to communicate and connect with people with Alzheimer's. How do we approach a "deeply forgetful" loved one so as to notice and affirm their continuing self-identity? For three decades, Stephen G. Post has worked around the world encouraging caregivers to become more aware of—and find renewed hope in—surprising expressions of selfhood despite the challenges of cognitive decline. In this book, Post offers new perspectives on the worth and dignity of people with Alzheimer's and related disorders despite the negative influence of "hypercognitive" values that place an ethically unacceptable emphasis on human dignity as based on linear rationality and strength of memory. This bias, Post argues, is responsible for the abusive exclusion of this population from our shared humanity. With vignettes and narratives, he argues for a deeper dignity grounded in consciousness, emotional presence, creativity, interdependence, music, and a self that is not "gone" but "differently abled." Post covers key practical topics such as: • understanding the experience of dementia • noticing subtle expressions of continuing selfhood, including "paradoxical lucidity" • perspectives on ethical quandaries from diagnosis to terminal care and everything in between, as gleaned from the voices of caregivers • how to communicate optimally and use language effectively • the value of art, poetry, symbols, personalized music, and nature in revealing self-identity • the value of trained "dementia companion" dogs At a time when medical advances to cure these conditions are still out of reach and the most recent drugs have shown limited effectiveness, Post argues that focusing discussion and resources on the relational dignity of these individuals and the respite needs of their caregivers is vital. Grounding ethics on the equal worth of all conscious human beings, he provides a cautionary perspective on preemptive assisted suicide based on cases that he has witnessed. He affirms vulnerability and interdependence as the core of the human condition and celebrates caregivers as advocates seeking social and economic justice in an American system where they and their loved ones receive only leftover scraps. Racially inclusive and grounded in diversity, Dignity for Deeply Forgetful People also includes a workshop appendix focused on communication and connection, "A Caregiver Resilience Program," by Rev. Dr. Jade C. Angelica.

"A new ethics guideline for caregivers of "deeply forgetful people" and a program on how to communicate and connect based on 30 years of community dialogues through Alzheimer's organizations across the globe"--

A longer life. A happier life. A healthier life. Above all, a life that matters—so that when you leave this world, you’ll have changed it for the better. If science said you could have all this just by altering one behavior, would you? Dr. Stephen Post has been making headlines by funding studies at the nation’s top universities to prove once and for all the life-enhancing benefits of caring, kindness, and compassion. The exciting new research shows that when we give of ourselves, especially if we start young, everything from life-satisfaction to self-realization and physical health is significantly affected. Mortality is delayed. Depression is reduced. Well-being and good fortune are increased. In their life-changing new book, Why Good Things Happen to Good People, Dr. Post and journalist Jill Neimark weave the growing new science of love and giving with profoundly moving real-life stories to show exactly how giving unlocks the doors to health, happiness, and a longer life. The astounding new research includes a fifty-year study showing that people who are giving during their high school years have better physical and mental health throughout their lives. Other studies show that older people who give live longer than those who don’t. Helping others has been shown to bring health benefits to those with chronic illness, including HIV, multiple sclerosis, and heart problems. And studies show that people of all ages who help others on a regular basis, even in small ways, feel happiest. Why Good Things Happen to Good People offers ten ways to give of yourself, in four areas of life, all proven by science to improve your health and even add to your life expectancy. (And not one requires you to write a check.) The one-of-a-kind “Love and Longevity Scale” scores you on all ten ways, from volunteering to listening, loyalty to forgiveness, celebration to standing up for what you believe in. Using the lessons and guidelines in each chapter, you can create a personalized plan for a more generous life, finding the style of giving that suits you best. The astonishing connection between generosity and health is so convincing that it will inspire readers to change their lives in ways big and small. Get started today. A longer, healthier, happier life awaits you.

Society today, writes Stephen Post, is "hypercognitive": it places inordinate emphasis on people's powers of rational thinking and memory. Thus, Alzheimer disease and other dementias, which over an extended period incrementally rob patients of exactly those functions, raise many dilemmas. How are we to view—and value—persons deprived of what some consider the most important human capacities? In the second edition of The Moral Challenge of Alzheimer Disease, Post updates his highly praised account of the major ethical issues relating to dementia care. With chapters organized to follow the progression from mild to severe and then terminal stages of dementia, Post discusses topics including the experience of dementia, family caregiving, genetic testing for Alzheimer disease, quality of life, and assisted suicide and euthanasia. New to this edition are sections dealing with end-of-life issues (especially artificial nutrition and hydration), the emerging cognitive-enhancing drugs, distributive justice, spirituality, and hospice, as well as a critique of rationalistic definitions of personhood. The last chapter is a new summary of practical solutions useful to family members and professionals.

Winner of the Michael Ramsay Prize 2016 Dementia is one of the most feared diseases in Western society today. Some have even gone so far as to suggest euthanasia as a solution to the perceived indignity of memory loss and the disorientation that accompanies it. Here, John Swinton develops a practical theology of dementia for caregivers, people with dementia, ministers, hospital chaplains, and medical practitioners as he explores two primary questions: • Who am I when I’ve forgotten who I am? • What does it mean to love God and be loved by God when I have forgotten who God is? Offering compassionate and carefully considered theological and pastoral responses to dementia and forgetfulness, Swinton’s Dementia redefines dementia in light of the transformative counter story that is the gospel.

Jade Angelica shares the wisdom and hope she gleaned from caring for her mother and from many years working closely with Alzheimer's patients and caregivers. Challenging the predominant belief that people with Alzheimer's no longer have purpose, potential, or the capacity for meaningful relationship, Where Two Worlds Touch is both a spiritual memoir and a pastoral guide for those who love someone with Alzheimer's. Readers will find here the reassuring words of a friend who has been there and can give advice on preserving connection, finding hope, self-care, and staying open to the possibility of grace. "Every chaplain, theologian, caregiver, and healthcare professional can find profound truth captured on each page of Where Two Worlds Touch. This is a beautiful book and the deepest I have read on the topic." - Stephen G. Post , author of The Moral Challenge of Alzheimer Disease

"The authors argue for a strong connection between public health and social policies that have boosted access to education; quality health care; cleaner air, soil, and water; and a reduction in Alzheimer's disease and dementia. They question the assumption of many that developing a pharmaceutical cure is the best hope for addressing Alzheimer's"--

The coauthor of Why Good Things Happen to Good People “shares his journey to that which is whole, holy, and healed in all of us” (Deepak Chopra, MD). Once every generation comes a book so revelatory and lucid, it reconnects us to our very souls. God and Love on Route 80 is such a book. Stephen G. Post was the perfect child and A-student until he took off in the family car, compelled by a persistent vision, his “blue angel dream.” Crossing America on Route 80, his unlikely adventure culminates in a shocking encounter that sets the stage for the rest of his life, a path connected by synchronicities which Post perceived as guidance from God and proof of humanity’s fundamental oneness, Infinite Mind. Truly a story for the ages, God and Love on Route 80 touches on the essential meaning of life and the messages we may all miss unless we begin paying close attention. God and Love on Route 80 is the highly entertaining true story of a cross-country road trip and a spiritual journey that led one young man to the discovery that a powerful force carries us toward our destinies. Many scriptures teach of an eternal, Infinite Mind beyond space and time that creates and sustains the universe. The divine Mind whispers and winks at us as we move through our everyday lives to reassure us that the journey is meaningful after all, even when we stumble. This book is for dreamers and questers of any spirituality who are looking for positive meaning and purpose in life. On the road, we can find God, redemption, forgiveness, and the understanding that we are all connected.