Dementia: The One-Stop Guide: Practical advice for families, professionals, and people living with dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

by June Andrews

Across the world, 44.4 million people live with dementia. Hundreds of millions of people are affected by the dementia of parents, partners, siblings or friends. And as much of the world struggles with an aging population, dementia is set to become ever more of a challenge for societies and individuals.

But still, most people who are diagnosed, or who are dealing with the diagnosis of a loved one, feel as though they are alone. Dementia: The One-Stop Guide aims to fill this gap, providing practical information and support for living with, or caring for, dementia.

With clear and sensible information about recognising symptoms, getting help, managing financially, staying at home, treatment, being a carer and staying positive, this guide will help those with dementia and their families to make sure that they can stay well and happy as long as possible.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Health

385 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 5, 2015

Reviews

[Rainbow Goth · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ 4.5 stars rounded up.

I found this book incredibly informative. It's clear that the author knows her subject well, providing clear and easy-to-follow advice on such an emotive topic.

The book offers concise, well-written chapters that are short, enhancing the flow and making it an accessible read.

However, there are sections with recaps and previews of upcoming chapters, which I often find repetitive but at least they were not too over used.

This book took me longer to read than most, but this is a reflection the emotional impact of dementia on me rather than the quality of the book itself.

I strongly believe this book should be part of your toolkit if you or someone you know is navigating a dementia diagnosis.

[Abbie Toria · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Susan in Perthshire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully descriptive, concise and informative. This book is written by someone who clearly knows her subject, understands the difficulties and is able to present a range of strategies to help readers. I must express a vested interest. My mother who is 89 has Alzheimer's - which was diagnosed over 2 years ago. In search of sources of information, support and help I fell on this with absolute joy. Finally a book which tells you in the simplest of terms what Alzheimer's is about, what to expect and how to cope. It covers almost everything you might need and I cannot recommend it highly enough!

[sheila farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stopped a swift descent into major panic and despair

I have spent a week reading this book after being told after 5 years of wondering what was wrong with me. At some stage in various contributions from the NHS I heard the words mild cognitive impairment but did not realise what that meant. 10 days ago my doctor used the word dementia. I spent 2 days in a daze and then found this book and started reading it. I seem to be at the beginning of a long road, and this book has given me confidence that I can start this journey with hope and support from my friends and family. I know I shall keep this book by my bedside all the time. Now I know what I have to do. It won't be easy but it will be positive.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a long slog to get through as audio and hats off to reader Jenny Lee who read very clearly and coped with the tedious business of reading links aloud. I don't know how much she sounds like June Andrews but it was a bit like being spoken to by a firm Granny.

The book was probably directly mostly (perhaps more or less entirely) to early to middle stages of dementia, but that doesn't mean it was not thorough. Anyone wondering about a diagnosis or newly diagnosed themselves but still competent in many ways would benefit considerably as it strikes a careful balance of realism and empowerment, setting out steps to take, what might help, what might be a problem which could be avoided. It makes it clear there is no time to lose in thought and action to lay the foundations of as happy as possible a life.

It also pulls no punches and wastes little time on the niceties. It will and should make uncomfortable reading for anyone paid to produce or deliver policy or provision. For family and friends, it is seriously daunting, laying bare the very heavy responsibility that falls to them, and manages to do so with no lack of respect for the central people in all this, those who have the dementia. I found the trenchant comments about paid staff using relatives as 'cannon fodder' in the complaints system, rather than speaking out themselves as much as they could particularly sobering.

There are quotations from a wide range of people which are used effectively.

I felt it lacked nuance on the thorny subject of that much praised thing 'independence' when I feel a more legitimate word in this context is 'agency', and residential care is treated as having little to commend it to anyone other than as a last resort. (There may well be good reasons for this in practice, given her expertise and wide experience - and the financial realities) And it does almost stop at having made that move, aside from financial matters.

[Lois McClements · Rating 4 out of 5]

My grandfather has recently been diagnosed with dementia. This book was a great help and comfort to me. It helped me understand more about the illness and what I can actively do to help him. Reading about what to say and what not to say was particularly helpful. I also liked that it doesn’t sugarcoat anything. It is a devastating diagnosis for someone in your family to receive, but the simultaneous reassurance included within the book made it an honest and reliable source. Thank you.

[Katie Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One stop guide

An utterly fantastic guild for those living with dementia ,pre dementia and Alzheimer's. I only wish that they had included Ireland too.

[Noel · Rating 2 out of 5]

very informative with regards to dementia a very valuable and conscise source of information, but as i work as a staff nurse it was a bit harsh on nursing\medical viewpoints

[Rina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Across the world, 44.4 million people suffer with dementia. Hundreds of millions of people are affected by the dementia of parents, partners, siblings or friends. And as much of the world struggles with an aging population, dementia is set to become ever more of a challenge for societies and individuals. This guide aims to fill this gap, providing practical information and support for living with, or caring for, dementia.

I have a vested interest in learning everything about dementia for personal reasons, so I picked this up hoping to learn a thing or two. I was pleasantly surprised to see the vast amount of information it covered, and I learned a lot!

Not only this book did a deep dive on dementia itself, the symptoms and prevention steps, it also provided advice on caring and supporting family members with dementia. Moreover, it provided advice on supporting yourself too as a carer.

The only downside of the book I could see was that all the contact numbers, supporting bodies and legal considerations were based in UK. So a lot of these might not be available to people living in other countries.

All in all, a very valuable book offering a comprehensive guideline on dementia, written by a very qualified, expert and experienced author. I would recommend this to everyone!

See my bookstagram review.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book really quite useful in giving an overview to understanding dementia, people with dementia, and tips on how to make life and communication easier. As a very wide-spread condition affecting so many people, knowing how to live or support people with dementia is really important. It provides information from what type of flooring to use, to reduce the unsteadiness on feet with reflecting surfaces and lack of depth perception, to the issues with healthcare and assumptions of inpatients' ability to learn new skills and rules, such as how to ring for assistance. Also the inevitable future of names slipping the mind and not recognising familiar faces, especially if they were more recent addition to their lives. Definitely broadened my understanding and mind further to being a Dementia Friend.
I do wish they had created an accompanying pdf with all the signposting instead of hearing them spelled out with all the / and -.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this gave information in a clear concise factual way without emotional hype.

Interesting to note that signs of forgetfulness which can be worrying can be caused by a long list of factors which do not directly point to dementia or Alzheimers. Most would automatically think of dementia as this is so much in the news nowadays.

Also learned about MCI (mild cognitive impairment), a condition that can be brought on through stress & fatigue which shows itself to cause minor difficulties with memory & attention. Though MCI can be a precursor to having dementia.

I also didn’t realise that there are several types of dementia with different symptoms and displayed behaviours.

This book could be a go to guide for those diagnosed with dementia, for their family/ carers or for anyone like myself who wanted some knowledge and facts.
However as this was published in 2015 I expect information has changed during the past 8 years.

[Frenje · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended for anyone who's interested in how to approach living with dementia one day.

The book targets a British audience -- so expect a range of tips aimed at better maneuvering around the NHS or tips set in a more British cultural context (offer a cuppa tea!). But this really doesn't detract from the usefulness of the book. Andrews has amassed a treasure trove of practical tips, and tons of anecdotes that really help to cast dementia in a more manageable light.

[Abi Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book - lots of helpful insights, really puts the person with dementia first and provides lots of practical advice & ideas! You can tell it’s written from a huge amount of experience and expertise

[Freya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would absolutely recommend this to anyone even remotely affected by dementia. Very informative and practical without being patronising.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good / useful book for those starting out on the dementia journey.

[Katie Gennuso · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a carer in a professional setting it wasnt really aimed at me, a few things learnt but it's really written for family members very new to the disease.

[Ches Torrants · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book because of someone I know. It is factual and well written. It explains the difficulties and the point of view of a dementia sufferer. It also suggests things that you can do to help, both when interacting with them and when planning their living environment.
Apparently, hospitals that are able to treat a specific illness or injury might not always understand the additional problems of a dementia sufferer.
The book also contains many references regarding sources of help and the intricacies of officialdom. I imagine this would be a good starting point if you ever have to deal with the condition, either for a loved one or for yourself.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really useful book on the subject, for both potential sufferers and their families. Practical, sensible, compassionate. Minor quibbles: sometimes not sure whether "you" means the person with dementia or the family; and although she gives an example of someone who will not let social services in to do the necessary assessment she doesn't really enlarge on what you are supposed to do if you have a relative in this situation (these are the people who might end up dead under a pile of newspapers & bluebottles, after all). Good overall guide with some useful suggestions for how to cope with the ghastly bureaucracy and with the medical and social care aspects.

[James Sadrianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although written taking into account the UK system the ideas in this book are relevant to any one who has to care for anyone who has had to care for someone with Dementia. There is a a lot of practical information in here. This book should be required reading in any hospice, care home, hospital or individual serving the elderly.

[Diane Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of useful tips for helping loved ones with Alzheimer's. The book is intended for a British audience so the UK-specific, NHS-navigation isn't specifically helpful, but probably the gist of advice will be useful.

[Kelly Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Useful read

My Nan has dementia and is in a care home. I take her for an outing when I visit her, I wasn't sure if this could unsettle her even though it made her happy. This book has given me the confidence that I am doing the right thing.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contains a lot of useful information for dementia sufferers in the early stages and for their loved ones. Good reference book.