The Person with Alzheimer's Disease: Pathways to Understanding the Experience » (1st Edition)

Phyllis Braudy Harris is a professor in the Department of Sociology and director of the Aging Studies Program at John Carroll University. She is co-editor of Dementia: The International Journal of Social Research and Practice.

"Compels us to focus on potential contributions, on the persistence of selfhood and human agency, and on how the voices of those with AD can teach us powerful and important lessons." -- American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Marquis D. Foreman, PhD, RN, FAAN(University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing)
Description:This book presents various perspectives on the personal experience of living with progressive memory loss -- specifically that due to Alzheimer's disease.
Purpose:The purposes are to describe what it is like to live day-to-day with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, and to identify what lessons can be learned from these accounts to improve the quality of care for these individuals and their families.
Audience:The editor indicates that the audience includes scholars and practitioners truly committed to person-centered dementia care and research.
Features:This book consists of 14 chapters in three parts: The Medical Experience; The Impact of the Diagnosis on Everyday Life; and Experiences with Formal Services. These chapters are written by both the providers of care as well as by people at various stages of Alzheimer's disease.
Assessment:This is an amazing book! The personal accounts of those either living with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or intimately providing care to such individuals are overwhelming. I was greatly moved by the very personal and intimate accounts of the difficulties and challenges presented by progressive memory loss. More important is the effort to take these experiences and learn from them. This book is critical for people newly diagnosed and their family and friends, and all of us who provide care to these families.