Navigating Life With Dementia

Caregiving for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease or dementia is hard but with this book, you and your family will successfully face the challenges that these diseases present. Dementia is a very common neurological disease of aging affecting millions of people in complex ways. There are multiple forms of the dementia, including Alzheimer's Disease, Lewy Body Dementia, Frontotemporal Dementia, and vascular dementia, among others, and many share features of slowly progressive and profound changes affecting memory, thinking, behavior, and personality. The disease often introduces personal and even financial strains, which can be at times hard to understand. Unfortunately, most forms of dementia have no definitive treatments to prevent, slow, or stop the progression, but there is a concerted effort in the scientific community to change this. There is a consistent hope that there will soon be a new era of scientific breakthroughs impacting dementia. Now, and in the future, patients with dementia, their friends, and their families need resources to successfully face the challenges introduced by the disease. Navigating Life with Dementia is designed as a handbook including tools to manage both day-to-day issues and to anticipate the long-term impact of the disease for dementia patients as well as their friends and families. This volume will help families in all stages of dementia care, beginning with the earliest hints of cognitive problems through advanced stages. In easily understood language, the book thoroughly covers the complexities of the dementias, the establishment of a diagnosis, what to expect throughout the stages of disease, and how to best anticipate and manage common problems.

"Since you have opened this book, you or a close friend or family member have likely been impacted by the upsetting and frightening diagnosis of dementia. You may have been told about this diagnosis in a number of different ways. Either the term dementia was used, or other words associated with or more specific than dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, Lewy Body disease, frontotemporal dementia, or Pick's disease, were used. You may even have been misinformed at first and told that you were simply facing the normal changes of aging, such as forgetfulness or mild depression. Sometimes these terms are relatable based on others we know who have been affected by them. But they can be shocking to hear and hard to understand when talking about yourself or a loved one. Even more difficult is that none of the most common forms of dementia currently have treatments that can cure or slow the disease"--

"Since you have opened this book, you or a close friend or family member have likely been impacted by the upsetting and frightening diagnosis of dementia. You may have been told about this diagnosis in a number of different ways. Either the term dementia was used, or other words associated with or more specific than dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, Lewy Body disease, frontotemporal dementia, or Pick's disease, were used. You may even have been misinformed at first and told that you were simply facing the normal changes of aging, such as forgetfulness or mild depression. Sometimes these terms are relatable based on others we know who have been affected by them. But they can be shocking to hear and hard to understand when talking about yourself or a loved one. Even more difficult is that none of the most common forms of dementia currently have treatments that can cure or slow the disease"--

Here is a marvelous guide for anyone affected by Parkinson's disease--patients, caregivers, family members, and friends. Containing the most up-to-date information on the disease, one of the most common neurological disorders, it discusses the available treatments and provides practical advice on how to manage the disease in the long term. Emphasizing life-style adjustments that will provide a better quality of life and moderate the burden for patients and their loved ones, the book answers many questions and clarifies misunderstandings regarding the disease. Written by two experts on Parkinson's disease and a freelance journalist, the book is approachable and easily understandable. Question and answer sections are provided, while "hot topics" are highlighted for easy visibility. The authors have also included true patient stories that will both inspire and instruct, and they have addressed several topics often not mentioned in physician-directed disease management, such as how to talk to family and friends about one's life with Parkinson's.

Navigating Life with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis provides accessible, comprehensive, and up-to-date information about the challenges patients, family members, and caregivers face when confronted by ALS, a disease that affects approximately 5,600 Americans every year, with as many as 30,000 people managing the disease at any given time. ALS is a difficult disease for the patient and is also challenging for the caregiver and family as there are many questions, issues relating to care, and problems to manage. This guide covers all aspects of managing ALS, from the onset of symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, and coping strategies, to the use of home health care or hospice, and new research in the field. The book also sheds lights on difficult topics, such as end-of-life care and managing legal affairs. Navigating Life with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is unique because it covers two perspectives: one author is a neurologist with 30 years of experience treating ALS patients, and the other author experienced first-hand the issues in providing care for a parent with ALS. Formatted in a question-and-answer style, peppered throughout with patient stories, and with sections devoted to family members and caregivers, this compassionate resource provides guidance to those seeking to understand how to live with this disease.

Navigating Life with Multiple Sclerosis will serve as a practical guide for meeting the challenges of this life-long disease. MS may cause a myriad of symptoms and varies greatly from person to person. The authors demystify MS and offer practical solutions and guidance based upon their extensive combined clinical and research experience. The book tackles many of the common symptoms experienced by the person with MS and looks into the future to explore where research is headed. If you are newly diagnosed or have been living with MS for years, this book is an invaluable guide.

Navigating Life with Parkinson's Disease is a guide for anyone affected by Parkinson's, providing useful information to those with Parkinson's and their caregivers, family, and friends. This extensively revised second edition contains up-to-date information on recent research and the latest adaptive equipment available to those living with Parkinson's disease. Discussing available treatments and providing practical advice, this book emphasizes lifestyle adjustments that provide a better quality of life for patients and their loved ones. The material is organized so that chapters can be read sequentially or individually, and the index and glossary facilitate the use of the book as a quick reference. Q&A sections, thoughts from people living with Parkinson's and Ask the Experts boxes address often-overlooked topics in physician-directed disease management, such as how to talk to family and friends about one's life with Parkinson's. Promoting a patient-centered approach, Navigating Life with Parkinson Disease empowers patients and their families to manage their health care.

"It is hard to believe it has been only 7 years since the publication of our first edition. In this short time, so much has changed in what we know about Parkinson's disease and how to treat it. As I read through the first edition, I found much information was already out of date within 4 years from publication. New knowledge about the role of protein misfolding and how it leads to nerve cell damage in Parkinson's, about when and where the disease may be starting, about how it may progress and spread through the brain, about how it affects almost all aspects of body functions, about how all this new knowledge is shaping the quest for a cure, about how important exercise is, and about how the multidisciplinary approach to disease management changes the quality of life of people with Parkinson's has been accumulating at a dizzying pace. More than 200 years after the publication of Parkinson's An Essay on the Shaking Palsy and just over 50 years after the implementation of levodopa in Parkinson's treatment, it looks as though scientists are poised to make a breakthrough toward effective treatments of the disease itself, not just the symptoms, and paths that may eventually lead to a cure are now visible. Such progress would be impossible without the hard work of many researchers; the financial support of the corresponding government agencies; the advocacy of national and international Parkinson's organizations and the philanthropy of their donors; and the tireless efforts and open minds of the doctors, nurses, therapists, and social workers caring for people with Parkinson's and their families. Above all, none of this progress would be possible without the active participation of people with Parkinson's and their families through advocacy, community engagement, and participation in clinical trials. To them we would like to extend a great "thank you"."--