- Alzheimer’s: A Caregivers Guide and Sourcebook by Howard Gruetzner
- When a Family Member Has Dementia: Steps to Becoming a Resilient Caregiver by Susan M McCurry
Here’s a list of useful books and DVDs to understand dementia and related caregiving. Links are provided for the Amazon pages, where you can read more about them, and various reader reviews, and order them. If you are in India, you may also be able to order most of them using any Indian online book store, such as Flipkart.com or landmarkonthenet.com or any other inline or physical store in India, where it is easier to place an order and also chase up the vendor for the delivery. (None of these links on this page, or anywhere on this site are affiliate links. I do not get any money if you click through them or order using them.)
Most of these books are aimed at Alzheimer’s Disease, but the caregiving tips are usually as applicable to all dementias. Some books/ DVDs on home nursing are included. A couple of books written by patients, describing their experiences of dementia, are also included.
The Alzheimer’s Project:HBO has created an excellent set of DVDs on Alzheimer’s as part of their Alzheimer’s project. This set includes stuff for patient, caregivers, friends, relatives, and is extremely sensitively made. Definitely worth buying. Read about it on/ order it on Amazon, or look for the title on Flipkart, or on Landmarkonthenet.com or any other vendor.
The Family Guide to Alzheimer’s Disease: 5 Volume Set: A good set of DVDs to understand what Alzheimer’s Disease and its caregiving involves. Read about it on/ order it on Amazon, or look for the title on Flipkart, or on Landmarkonthenet.com or any other vendor.
The Educated Caregiver, Three DVD Set: This DVD set is great for giving you an idea of what caregiving involves and requires. Read about it on/ order it on Amazon, or look for the title on Flipkart, or on Landmarkonthenet.com or any other vendor.
The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for Persons with Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementing Illnesses, and Memory Loss in Later Life (3rd Edition): This is an absolute must, in my opinion. The book is a classic, almost like a definitional book, so much so that doctors involved with caregivers often tell them, ‘we know you have a 36 hour day.’ Read about the book on/ order it on Amazon, or look for the title on Flipkart, or on Landmarkonthenet.com or any other vendor.
When a Family Member Has Dementia: Steps to Becoming a Resilient Caregiver: Another great, absolute must that will give you very clear ideas on what to expect from a dementia patient and how to handle them. Read about it on/ order it on Amazon, or look for the title on Flipkart, or on Landmarkonthenet.com or any other vendor.
American Medical Association Guide to Home Caregiving: The title says it all–a good starting point to get the basic understanding of what is involved in caregiving. Read about it on/ order it on Amazon, or look for the title on Flipkart, or on Landmarkonthenet.com or any other vendor.
The Comfort of Home: A Complete Guide for Caregivers (Comfort of Home, The): A practical guide for caregiving, well-written and worth having a look at. Read about it on/ order it on Amazon, or look for the title on Flipkart, or on Landmarkonthenet.com or any other vendor.
The Comfort of Home for Alzheimer’s Disease: A Guide for Caregivers (The Comfort of Home): This book has the same authors as the above book, but is geared specifically for dementia patient caregiving. Have a look! Read about it on/ order it on Amazon, or look for the title on Flipkart, or on Landmarkonthenet.com or any other vendor.
Understanding Difficult Behaviors: Some practical suggestions for coping with Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses: This book looks at each “difficult behaviour”, explains possible causes, and gives several practical tips for both preventing and handling the behaviour.
This book is an excellent day-to-day reference to have. Read about it on/ order it on Amazon, or look for the title on Flipkart, or on Landmarkonthenet.com or any other vendor.
The Complete Guide to Alzheimer’s-Proofing Your Home (Revised Edition): Get your house ready for the patient, using this book. Many useful tips here. Read about it on/ order it on Amazon, or look for the title on Flipkart, or on Landmarkonthenet.com or any other vendor.
Alzheimer’s: A Caregiver’s Guide and Sourcebook, 3rd Edition: Particularly good for its discussions on caregiver emotions and stress, and for its discussions on how families can coordinate for care. Read about it on/ order it on Amazon, or look for the title on Flipkart, or on Landmarkonthenet.com or any other vendor.
Alzheimer’s from the Inside Out: Very valuable to understand the experience of dementia from the viewpoint of Richard Taylor, an articulate professor who was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s when in his initial stage, and has spent several years explaining what it feels like to have dementia. Read about it on/ order it on Amazon, or look for the title on Flipkart, or on Landmarkonthenet.com or any other vendor.
Me And MY Alzheimers: Me and My Alzheimers, join me as fight the fight of my life against this awful illness (Volume 1): Written by Norman McNamara, a patient diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, this book chronicles his experiences of suffering from dementia, and is very valuable for understanding what patients undergo. Read about it on/ order it on Amazon, or look for the title on Flipkart, or on Landmarkonthenet.com or any other vendor.
