What If It's Not Alzheimer's?: A Caregiver's Guide to Dementia

by Lisa Radin (Editor)

Although the public most often associates dementia with Alzheimer’s disease, the medical profession now distinguishes various types of "other" dementias. This book is the first comprehensive guide dealing with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), one of the largest groups of non-Alzheimer’s dementias. The contributors are either specialists in their fields or have exceptional hands-on experience with FTD sufferers.


Beginning with a focus on the medical facts, the first part defines and explores FTD as an illness distinct from Alzheimer’s disease. Also considered are clinical and medical care issues and practices, as well as such topics as finding a medical team and rehabilitation interventions. The next section on managing care examines the daily care routine including exercise, socialization, adapting the home environment, and behavioral issues. In the following section on caregiver resources, the contributors identify professional and government assistance programs along with private resources and legal options.


This newly revised edition follows recent worldwide collaboration in research and provides the most current medical information available, a better understanding of the different classifications of FTD, and more clarity regarding the role of genetics. A completely new chapter 5 enlightens the reader about the various drugs that are now being used with FTD patients and also delves into a number of nonmedical options. The wealth of information offered in these pages will help both healthcare professionals and caregivers of someone suffering from frontotemporal dementia.

345 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2003

Reviews

[Lisa]

This is a book specifically on frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a neurogenerative dementia which can vary from Alzheimer's in many ways. It is well-organized, being divided into four parts with a detailed table of contents which readily facilitates finding certain specific topics. The Medical Focus section is the largest and covers everything you've ever wanted to know about FTD and then some. Managing Daily Care is pretty self-explanatory and is primarily directed to the caregiver, but would be helpful to non-caregiving family members to understand better what might be happening to the patient and the ramifications to the caregiver. Caregiver Resources covers the various medical care options available and ends with a practical chapter on finances and legal matters. The final section, Caring for Yourself, is written for caregivers and deals with respite and emotional health of the caregiver. Because this book's different chapters are written by different individuals, the readability varied greatly. Some of the chapters in the Medical Focus section were very technical and dry and, quite frankly, put me right to sleep. And while I found the chapter covering autopsy to be very interesting, I am not sure everyone wants to wade through the historical background of autopsy or the exact process in order to understand the importance of tissue donation to furthering research for a cure. Overall a very helpful and thorough book, but probably not the easiest to read for exhausted caregivers.

[Diane]

Very comprehensive.

[Amy Knight]

This book provided me with a much better understanding of frontal temporal lobe dementia. I used some of the information learned from it in staff training and family education.