Daily Caring rounded up 9 top Alzheimer’s and dementia caregiving books that are helpful for both new and experienced caregivers.
These 9 books help with practical care tasks, explain how to manage challenging dementia symptoms, share tips for coping with stress, give ideas for realistic and engaging activities, and share personal stories.
1. The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer’s Disease, Other Dementias, and Memory Loss, 6th edition, by Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rabins
The 36-Hour Day is often referred to as the “gold standard” book for families who are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia.
It’s a care guide that has practical tips and information to improve the lives of people with dementia and also to help caregivers cope with their own emotions and needs.
2. Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s: A Groundbreaking Approach for Everyone Dealing with the Disease, by Joanne Koenig Coste
Joanne Koenig Coste has a practical approach to the emotional well-being of both the person with dementia and their caregiver.
She emphasizes relating to people with dementia in their own reality and focuses on improving communication – proven successful with thousands of people living with dementia.
3. Creating Moments of Joy Along the Alzheimer’s Journey: A Guide for Families and Caregivers, 5th edition, by Jolene Brackey
Jolene Brackey’s vision is that we’ll focus on creating moments of joy that put a smile on their face or a twinkle in their eyes. Even if they won’t remember what we said or did, the positive feelings will stay with them.
The newest edition of this book is filled with even more practical advice sprinkled with hope, encouragement, new stories, and humor.
4. Surviving Alzheimer’s: Practical tips and soul-saving wisdom for caregivers, by Paula Spencer Scott
In her book, Paula Spencer Scott talks about what every family caregiver needs to know – how to help someone with dementia without sacrificing yourself.
5. Thoughtful Dementia Care: Understanding the Dementia Experience, by Jennifer Ghent-Fuller
Jennifer Ghent-Fuller explains the loss of different types of memory and other thinking processes and describes how that affects someone’s daily life and their understanding of the world around them.
She also shares practical suggestions based on the way people with dementia view common life situations and real-life experiences that clarify and deepen the explanations.
6. Activities to do with Your Parent who has Alzheimer’s Dementia, by Judith A. Levy EdM OTR
Everyone needs to feel engaged & entertained. But finding activities that someone with dementia can enjoy is a constant challenge.
The activities in this book help maintain your older adult’s self-care skills, mobility, and socialization. The tasks encourage success, boost self-esteem, and give you different opportunities to interact with your older adult.
7. The Dementia Handbook: How to Provide Dementia Care at Home, by Judy Cornish
Judy Cornish is the founder of the Dementia & Alzheimer’s Wellbeing Network® (DAWN). She approaches dementia care with clear and empathetic methods that improve the lives of the person with dementia and those caring for them.
Judy has identified a pattern in the abilities and disabilities of people living with dementia. Based on this, she developed methods for caregivers to ease emotional distress, which can quickly and safely resolve challenging behaviors.
8. When Reasoning No Longer Works: A Practical Guide for Caregivers Dealing with Dementia & Alzheimer’s Care, by Angel Smits
Angel Smits is a gerontologist with over 20 years of experience and wrote this book to be like a training manual for family caregivers caring for someone with dementia.
It gives an easy-to-understand view of what dementia does to the brain, how it’s diagnosed, and most importantly, how to deal with its effects.
9. Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living with Alzheimer’s & Other Dementias: 101 Stories of Caregiving, Coping, and Compassion, by Amy Newmark
Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia can make you feel lonely and isolated but you’re definitely not alone in this.
This book has 101 encouraging and inspiring stories by caregivers like you. It’s a wonderful source of support and encouragement throughout the caregiving journey.
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