The ADEAR Center offers fact sheets; easy-to-read materials; booklets about topics such as being diagnosed with early-stage AD, caregiving, home safety, and comfort and care at the end of life; and more. See the ADEAR Center listing under “Information and Support Resources” above for contact information.
Consumers and professionals interested in AD also may wish to refer to the following materials:
Ballard, E.L., & Poer, C.M. Lessons Learned: Shared Experiences in Coping. Durham, NC: The Duke Family Support Program, 1999.
Available for $7 from the ADEAR Center,
P.O. Box 8250, Silver Spring, MD 20907-8250; 800-438-4380;
www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers.
This book documents the experiences of people caring for loved ones with AD. Filled with short stories and advice, it is intended for caregivers who wish to take comfort and learn from the experiences of others. Caregivers discuss the caregiving process, such as getting a diagnosis, finding support services, making decisions about treatment and living arrangements, and coping with stress and caregiver burden.
Dash, P., & Villemarette-Pittman, N. Alzheimer’s Disease. New York: American Academy of Neurology, 2005.
This concise volume provides an overview of recent findings regarding the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of AD. It is designed to help caregivers and family members gain a better understanding of AD and the available options for coping with and managing this illness. Sixteen chapters answer questions about topics such as the definition of AD and dementia, AD versus other causes of dementia, treatments for behavioral symptoms and other complications of AD, and practical issues for the patient and family. Illustrations, a glossary, and a list of resources are also included.
Doraiswamy, P.M., & Gwyther, L., with Adler, T. The Alzheimer’s Action Plan: The Experts’ Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2008.
This book, by a physician and social worker at Duke University, offers information about how to get an early and accurate AD diagnosis and why it matters, life after the diagnosis, state-of-the-art treatments, coping with behavioral and emotional changes through the early and middle stages of AD, accessing the latest clinical trials, and understanding the future of AD.
Kuhn, D., & Bennett, D.A. Alzheimer’s Early Stages: First Steps for Family, Friends and Caregivers, 2nd ed. Alameda, CA: Hunter House Publishers, 2003.
With increased awareness of the symptoms of AD and improved diagnostic techniques, more people are learning that they or a family member have a memory disorder. This book, written by experts at Rush University Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago, helps readers understand and find ways to cope with the early stages of the disease. It also includes an extensive resource list of websites, organizations, and references to consumer and professional literature.
Mace, N.L., & Rabins, P.V. The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People With Alzheimer’s Disease, Other Dementias, and Memory Loss in Later Life, 4th ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006.
This book offers guidance and comfort for families caring for loved ones with AD, other dementias, and memory loss in later life. The fourth edition includes chapters on topics such as getting medical help for the person with dementia, behavioral symptoms of dementia, nursing homes and other living arrangements, and research in dementia. New information discusses diagnostic evaluation, caregiver resources, legal and financial information, nursing homes and other communal living arrangements, and the latest updates on research, medications, and the biological causes and effects of dementia. Available in a large-print version.
Messer, M. Pressure Points: Alzheimer’s and Anger. Durham, NC: Duke Family Support Program, 2000. Available for $12.50 from the ADEAR Center, P.O. Box 8250, Silver Spring, MD 20907-8250; 800-438-4380; www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers.
In simple, easy-to-read language, this book addresses issues such as setting boundaries, managing anger positively, and risk factors for anger in AD care. It offers tangible action steps for responding appropriately, rather than abusively, when feeling angry. Participants in Alzheimer’s support groups share helpful techniques and coping mechanisms, as well as enlightening anecdotes about caring for a loved one with AD. Caregivers, family members of AD patients, clergy, and health professionals all may benefit from this publication. Two companion booklets are also available from the ADEAR Center: “Hit Pause”: Helping Dementia Families Deal with Anger (for health professionals; $3.00) and Wait a Minute! When Anger Gets Too Much (for families and caregivers; $2.00).
Perry, G., ed., Alzheimer’s Disease: A Century of Scientific and Clinical Research. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, book edition, Fairfax, VA: IOS Press, Inc., 2006.
This volume brings together the important discoveries in the AD field since the disease’s original description by Dr. Alois Alzheimer a century ago. It traces how the importance of AD as the major cause of late-life dementia came to light and narrates the evolution of the concepts related to AD throughout the years. Fifty papers are organized into sections on historical perspective, neuropathology, synaptic changes, amyloid, tau, disease mechanisms, genetics, and diagnosis and treatment.
Petersen, R., ed. Mayo Clinic Guide to Alzheimer’s Disease: The Essential Resource for Treatment, Coping and Caregiving. Rochester, MN: Mayo Clinic Health Solutions, 2006.
This guide is designed to help nonprofessionals understand dementia and its effects on the mind, the differences between dementia and changes associated with normal aging, and how to improve memory and maintain good mental function. It includes information about changes that occur in normal aging; the process of diagnosing dementia; non-AD forms of dementia; how AD develops, and AD stages, diagnosis, and treatment. New information about mild cognitive impairment, ways to stay mentally sharp, and research trends, along with an action guide for caregivers, are also included.
Restak, R. The Secret Life of the Brain. Washington, DC: Joseph Henry Press, 2001.
This companion to the PBS documentary takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the developing brain, from infancy and childhood through adulthood and old age. The author examines brain disorders and mechanisms of brain repair and healing.
Shenk, D. The Forgetting. Alzheimer’s: Portrait of an Epidemic. New York: Random House, Inc., 2003.
An eloquent and moving description of AD, The Forgetting is an exploration of, and meditation on, the nature of memory and perceptions of self. It is a readable, accessible description of the history of AD, research, and the human impact of the disease. Calling AD a “death by a thousand subtractions,” the author describes the science of AD in clear and easy-to-understand terms.
Snowdon, D. Aging With Grace: What the Nun Study Teaches Us About Leading Longer, Healthier, and More Meaningful Lives. New York: Random House, Inc., 2002.
This book describes the participants and findings from the Nun Study, a long-term project examining aging and AD in a unique population of 678 Catholic sisters. The nuns gave Dr. Snowdon access to their medical and personal records and agreed to donate their brains upon death. The book discusses the relationship of early linguistic ability to risk of AD, the association of stroke and depression with AD, and the role of heredity and lifestyle in healthy aging.
Tanzi, R.E., & Sisodia, S.S. Alzheimer’s Disease: Advances in Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology. New York: Springer Publishing Company, 2006.
This book examines every major aspect of AD—clinical, epidemiologic, structural, chemical, genetic, molecular, and therapeutic. This edition includes expanded coverage of related dementing disorders, including prion diseases, Pick’s disease, frontotemporal disorders, an in-depth discussion of transgenic models, and the biochemistry of presenilins. It also discusses treatment of symptoms with therapeutic drugs and AD clinical trials. The broad coverage of AD in this book will be of special interest to clinicians, educators, investigators, and health administrators.
Uetz, D., & Lindsay, A. Into the Mist: When Someone You Love Has Alzheimer’s.
Philadelphia: Xlibris Corporation, 2005.
This book combines information from researchers, experts, and families in a comprehensive guide for AD caregivers. It offers personal accounts of three families caring for a loved one from the earliest stages to the last stages, illustrating the commonalities and differences among AD patients and the ways their families handle the most difficult challenges. It also provides information to help families cope with the psychological aspects of AD, behavior problems, and communication difficulties. The book covers such topics as the stages of AD, Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care insurance, geriatric care management, the diagnosis of AD, causes and prevention, and drug treatments.
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