Books and DVDs

Here’s a list of books I and/ or others I know have found great to equip us to caregive for dementia patients. I’ve provided links to Amazon to buy them. If you order using the provided links, I get a ‘kickback’, but the books and DVDs suggested here are just as good whether you beg, borrow or steal them, or order them from some other site or using some other link. Just to let you know, though, that any money I ‘earn’ through the links on this page will be routed back to organizations involved in supporting dementia and caregivers.

A small note: Many suggestions below are for Alzheimer’s dementia, the most common form of dementia. They will, however, also be useful for other dementias aS problems from a caregiver’s perspective are much the same except for medication and treatment possibilities, and the nature of progression involved.

The Alzheimer’s Project: HBO has created an excellent set of DVDs on Alzheimer’s as part of their Alzheimer’s project. This set includes stuff for patient, caregivers, friends, relatives, and is extremely sensitively made. Definitely worth buying.

The Family Guide to Alzheimer’s Disease: 5 Volume Set A good set of DVDs to understand what Alzheimer’s Disease and its caregiving involves.

The Educated Caregiver, Three DVD Set This DVD set is great for giving you an idea of what caregiving involves and requires.

The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for Persons with Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementing Illnesses, and Memory Loss in Later Life (3rd Edition) This is an absolute must, in my opinion. The book is a classic, almost like a definitional book, so much so that doctors involved with caregivers often tell them, ‘we know you have a 36 hour day.’

When a Family Member Has Dementia: Steps to Becoming a Resilient Caregiver Another great, absolute must that will give you very clear ideas on what to expect from a dementia patient and how to handle them.

American Medical Association Guide to Home Caregiving The title says it all–a good starting point to get the basic understanding of what is involved in caregiving.

The Comfort of Home: A Complete Guide for Caregivers (Comfort of Home, The) A practical guide for caregiving, well-written and worth having a look at.

The Comfort of Home for Alzheimer’s Disease: A Guide for Caregivers (The Comfort of Home) And this one, the same authors as the above book, but geared specifically for dementia patient caregiving. Have a look!

Understanding Difficult Behaviors:Some practical suggestions for coping with Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses This one is a great help, too.

The Complete Guide to Alzheimer’s-Proofing Your Home (Revised Edition) Get your house ready for the patient, using this book. Many useful tips here.