Books to Read about Alzheimer’s and Dementia for Caregivers
An Alzheimer’s diagnosis leads to countless questions and sometimes a lack of knowledge on where to get the answers. There are a variety of resources available to those who have recently had a loved one diagnosis with Alzheimer’s, such as books, guides, doctors, and other professionals. Identifying these resources can be overwhelming, especially on top of the new daily challenges added into life as your loved one is deals with Alzheimer’s. Finding comfort in the words of others can be a great place to start unpacking and relating to a common experience.
Whether you’re looking for a book that focuses on the latest research on Alzheimer’s, counseling resources, personal stories, activities, or something else, there many out there to read. Here is a list of some of the top-rated and award-winning books that continue to provide comfort to families all over the world.
Books to Read After an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
36-Hour Day – Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rabbins
The 36-Hour Day is continually updated to provide the most up-to-date resources and information for caregivers and families, and it is an honest look inside the journey of Alzheimer’s and dementia. It provides caregivers perspective on challenges, coping strategies, and support resources to help them as they care their loved one during this difficult time.
Cost: $13.99
Activities to do with Your Parent Who Has Alzheimer’s Dementia – Judith A. Levy
This guide provides activities that will help your loved one succeed in the Activities of Daily Living. The tasks outlined in this book encourage individuals to feel confident in themselves while maintaining their mobility, socialization, and self-care skills. Finding new ways to accomplish daily tasks can be overwhelming, but with the guided help from this professional author can go a long way. This book will make tasks and goals seem very obtainable on a personal level and in the home setting where you’re caring for your loved one.
Cost: $15.99
The Alzheimer’s Action Plan: What You Need to Know – and What You Can Do – About Memory Problems, from Prevention to Early Intervention and Care – P. Murali Doraiswamy and Lisa P. Gwyther with Tina Alder
An Alzheimer’s or dementia diagnosis can rock the world of everyone who it impacts. It leaves you with thousands of questions and so many directions to go in. With the help of healthcare professionals, you can adapt and create a successful care plan for your loved one. The Alzheimer’s Action Plan lays out coping methods, clinical trial information, and information about what the future of Alzheimer’s research looks like, all in a clear and easy-to-understand way.
Cost: $17.99
Before I Forget: Love, Hope, Help, and Acceptance in Our Fight Against Alzheimer’s – B. Smith and Dan Gasby
This story is about how a professional publisher, restaurateur, and wife B. Smith unexpectedly got diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the age of 66. When she realized this wasn’t something unique to her but impacted millions of people each year, B. Smith wanted to tell her story. With her husband Dan by her side, B. tells the narrative of advice, challenges, and harsh realities that they faced as a family during this time. It is a story of hope, love, and empowering others to stay connected and continue learning even after the world seems to stand still.
Cost: $12.99
Creating Moments of Joy Along the Alzheimer’s Journey: A Guide for Families and Caregivers – Jolene Brackey
This is a book written to help families remember that there are joyous moments that can still be created after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. In the early days of a diagnosis, there is a sense of feeling lost in the darkness with all the unknowns that are to come. Although these moments seem overwhelming, Brackley highlights ways to help families create new perfect moments with their loved ones, to help bring back their smiles.
Cost: $11.99
We are Not Ourselves – Matthew Thomas
This fiction novel that tells the story of a multi-generational family. It follows the story of a family in the American landscape and how their life changes as the father is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Matthew Thomas writes this novel after as his father died of Alzheimer’s and the parallels from personal experience can be read through the lines. It is a narrative that can pull you into a different time as well as help you see why family is the most important thing.
Cost: $12.99
Still Alice – Lisa Genova
Still Alice is a captivating novel about celebrated Harvard professor who, at the height of her career, got the devastating diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Alice takes readers through her journey of maintaining her independence and experiencing her life to the fullest. It truly captures what it is like to live with the disease.
Cost: 19.99
Slow Dancing with a Stranger – Meryl Comer
In this personal journey, Meryl tells the story of her life caring for her husband during his battle with Alzheimer’s disease. As a caregiver, she discusses the impact that the disease has on both the person living with it and those who are caring for them. Comer has dedicated herself to fighting for Alzheimer’s and raising public awareness.
Cost: $12.59
Let’s Talk Dementia – Carol L. Howell
Carol L. Howell is a Certified Dementia Specialist, caregiver, mother, and educator who is passionate about shedding light on the various types of dementia. In this book, she provides knowledge, power, hope, and smiles to readers through the acknowledgement of best practices when it comes to caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s.
Cost: $14.99
Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s: A Groundbreaking Approach for Everyone Dealing with the Disease – Joanne Koenig Coste
In this book, Joanne Koenig Coste explores the idea that when you’re caring for a loved one who is living with Alzheimer’s, you should meet them where they are, rather than harshly pulling them out of their reality. This method of communication allows for genuine connection between caregiver and loved one. The book also goes over how to cope with a new normal and face the daily challenges associated with Alzheimer’s.
Cost: $10.69
Finding Life in the Land of Alzheimer’s: One Daughter’s Hopeful Story – Lauren Kessler
This book is a compelling narrative of a daughter’s journey, caring for her mom as she lives with Alzheimer’s disease. Kesser watched as many things she knew about her mom began to slip away. Ultimately, she realized that the disease didn’t have to be an end, but a beginning of something new. She recognizes that this could be a time to experience friendship, love, joy, and sorrow in a new way.
Cost: $16.00
There is no one single way to learn and process an Alzheimer’s diagnosis because it is a complex disease. Learning how to adapt to your loved one’s reality and engaging with them in a safe way is important. These books provide the opportunity to hear from people who have been in your shoes, as well as learn how they’ve gotten through it, and made the best of it. An Alzheimer’s diagnosis doesn’t have to be the end of the road, but the end of now and the beginning of something new. Learning from professional, educators, mothers, daughters, sons, husbands, and wives on how to care for your loved one during this new time of life is the most important thing you can do.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
