Caregiving in Alzheimer's and Other Dementias

282 Pages·2015·0.84 MB·English

by  Eric Pfeiffer

Caregiving in
Alzheimer’s and
Other Dementias
YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS HEALTH & WELLNESS
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Caregiving in
Alzheimer’s
and Other
Dementias
Eric Pfeiffer, M.D.
FOREWORD BY
Gayle Sierens
New Haven & London
The information and suggestions contained in this book are not
intended to replace the services of your physician or caregiver. Because
each person and each medical situation is unique, you should consult
your own physician to get answers to your personal questions, to
evaluate any symptoms you may have, or to receive suggestions for
appropriate medications.
The author has attempted to make this book as accurate and up to
date as possible, but it may nevertheless contain errors, omissions, or
material that is out of date at the time you read it. Neither the author
nor the publisher has any legal responsibility or liability for errors,
omissions, out-of-date material, or the reader’s application of the
medical information or advice contained in this book.
Copyright © 2015 by Eric Pfeiffer, M.D.
All rights reserved.
This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including illustrations,
in any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S.
Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press), without written
permission from the publishers.
Yale University Press books may be purchased in quantity for
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[email protected] (U.S. office) or [email protected] (U.K. office).
Designed by James J. Johnson.
Set in Swift type by Integrated Publishing Solutions.
Printed in the United States of America.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Pfeiffer, Eric, 1935–
Caregiving in alzheimer’s and other dementias / Eric Pfeiffer, M.D. ; foreword
by Gayle Sierens, News Anchor, NBC-TV, Tampa, Florida.
pages cm
Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-300-20798-9 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Alzheimer’s disease--Patients--
Care. 2. Caregivers. I. Title.
RC523.P436 2015
616.8'31--dc23 2014033323
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48–1992
(Permanence of Paper).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Foreword by Gayle Sierens ix
Introduction 1
Part I. Understanding the Caregiver Role
Chapter 1. What Is a Caregiver? 7
Chapter 2. Different Kinds of Caregivers:
Spouses, Other Family, Friends 20
Chapter 3. Why Alzheimer’s Disease
Demands Caregiving 28
Chapter 4. Preparing for the “Job” of
Caregiving 31
Chapter 5. The Rewards of Caregiving 39
CONTENTS
Part II. Learning about Your Loved One’s
Condition
Chapter 6. Milder Forms of Memory
Impairment 51
Chapter 7. Understanding Alzheimer’s
Disease 57
Chapter 8. Advances in Diagnosing
Alzheimer’s Disease 80
Chapter 9. Alzheimer’s Disease Can Now Be
Treated 91
Chapter 10. Other Forms of Dementia, and
Delirium 100
Chapter 11. The Value of Participating in
Clinical Studies 115
Chapter 12. The Future of Research and
Treatments 119
Part III. Providing Care for Your Loved One
Chapter 13. The Early Stages: A Caregiver
in Waiting 127
vi
CONTENTS
Chapter 14. The Middle Stages: Patience
and Humor 155
Chapter 15. The Late Stages: Even More
Challenging 174
Chapter 16. The Hardest Decision You’ll
Ever Make 190
Part IV. Taking Care of Yourself
Chapter 17. Caregivers Need Care, Too 201
Chapter 18. Caregiver Support Groups 215
Chapter 19. When Your Loved One Dies 221
Chapter 20. Recovery from Caregiving 226
Postscript 238
Appendix: Resources for Caregivers and Families 247
Acknowledgments 255
Index 259
About the Author 267
vii
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Foreword
Nearly thirty years ago I had the distinct pleasure of
meeting Dr. Eric Pfeiffer. As a television news reporter
and anchor, it was my job to share with our viewers the
latest breakthroughs in medicine. Here in Florida, a
great deal of that news deals with our aging popula-
tion, of which I am now a part. I had the good fortune
to meet and interview this brilliant man whose passion
it is to better the lives of the elderly, and help the rest of
us understand what they are facing and in many cases,
already dealing with. Little did I know that I would be
one of those people.
I am the only child of a mother who has now moved
through all the stages of Alzheimer’s. It’s hard to under-
stand that world unless you are in the middle of it. But
Dr. Pfeiffer has given us not only a glimpse into that
ix