Becoming a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer's disease or another neurocognitive disorder can be an unexpected, undesirable, underappreciated—and yet noble role. It is heartbreaking to watch someone lose the very cognitive capacities that once helped to define them as a person. But because of the nature of these disorders, the only way to become an effective caregiver and cope with the role's many daily challenges is to become well-informed about the disease. With the right information, resources and tips on caregiving and working with professionals, you can become your own expert at both caring for your charge and taking care of yourself.
In these pages, Marc Agronin guides readers through a better understanding of the changes their loved one may be going through, and helps them tap into the various resources available to them as they embark on an uncertain caregiving journey. Insisting that a caregiver also maintain his or her own health and well being, Agronin guides caregivers in their efforts to provide care, but to also look to themselves as recipients of care from themselves and others. Shedding light on the debilitating disorders themselves as well as their everyday realities, this book is a much-needed resource for anyone caring for another person suffering from Alzheimer's disease and other neurocognitive disorders.