Back at the end of July, I found out my 88-year-old mother had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), specifically the nonfluent / agrammatic variant of the primary progressive aphasia (PPA) subtype. Since then I've been doing a lot of reading to try to help me figure out what to do next.
The 36-Hour Day, by Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rabins, was updated to a fifth edition in 2011. It does address FTD, but is primarily about Alzheimer's and dementias in general. The first eight chapters define dementia and discuss getting medical help, characteristic behavioral symptoms of the disease (two chapters), problems in independent living and daily care, and medical problems and symptoms that appear as changes in mood. The next six chapters focus more on the caregiver and the family. The last five chapters address financial and legal issues, nursing homes and other living arrangements (but not really the settings that have come to be known as "memory care"), preventing or delaying cognitive decline, and more detail on brain disorders and causes of and research in dementia. Although it is now somewhat outdated, I was glad to receive a mass-market paperback copy of this book for reference.
Stages of Senior Care, by Paul and Lori Hogan, was published in 2010. It provides brief descriptions of the different options for caring for aging relatives and friends, ranging from aging in place, family care, senior centers and day care, non-medical and medical in-home care, and retirement and independent living communities, to more intense or later-stage care such as assisted living, skilled nursing centers, and hospice. The book also addresses funerals, bereavement, financing care, and complications and difficult issues (such as parent-child antagonisms and sibling disagreement). The book ends with suggestions for caring for the caregiver as well as planning your own future. It's a good overview with some helpful sidebars with tips and questions to ask. The authors are the founders of a prominent in-home care company, but they are upfront about this, and pretty fair presenting other options. Considering the book's publication date, any quotes on pricing or government policies need to be updated or double-checked for relevance. Nevertheless, I found this book to be helpful.
© Amanda Pape - 2017
[Both books were originally borrowed from and returned to my local public library. I later received The 36-Hour Day as a gift.}
Stages of Senior Care, by Paul and Lori Hogan, was published in 2010. It provides brief descriptions of the different options for caring for aging relatives and friends, ranging from aging in place, family care, senior centers and day care, non-medical and medical in-home care, and retirement and independent living communities, to more intense or later-stage care such as assisted living, skilled nursing centers, and hospice. The book also addresses funerals, bereavement, financing care, and complications and difficult issues (such as parent-child antagonisms and sibling disagreement). The book ends with suggestions for caring for the caregiver as well as planning your own future. It's a good overview with some helpful sidebars with tips and questions to ask. The authors are the founders of a prominent in-home care company, but they are upfront about this, and pretty fair presenting other options. Considering the book's publication date, any quotes on pricing or government policies need to be updated or double-checked for relevance. Nevertheless, I found this book to be helpful.
© Amanda Pape - 2017
[Both books were originally borrowed from and returned to my local public library. I later received The 36-Hour Day as a gift.}
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