The Handholder's Handbook: A Guide for Caregivers of People with Alzheimer's or Other Dementias [Paperback]

Rosette Teitel (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Helping Hands for Self-HelpersAfter nursing her husband through his slow decline from vascular dementia without finding any answers to her practical or emotional issues, Rosette Teitel wrote The Handholder's Handbook: A Guide for Caregivers of People with Alzheimer's or Other Dementias. Many of the 19 million Americans with an afflicted family member will appreciate her guidance, easily digestible with checklists for each chapter: "Be sure there are two railings along any steps the patient will need to use;" "Take fifteen minutes just for yourself every day." This warm, articulate former high-school teacher covers statistics, options and resources, from the patient's complaints (if they are imaginary, lend a sympathetic ear; if they are reality-based, advocate for him or her), to how to shower an adult, to home hospice care.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Most books about caring for someone with Alzheimer's are authored by health or social service experts; few are written by actual care providers with firsthand experience of looking after a memory-impaired person. Retired high school teacher Teitel cared for her husband, who suffered from vascular dementia, until his death. Her book offers the basics about various forms of dementia, including early symptoms and diagnosis, behavioral and emotional changes, and treatment options. Additional chapters discuss financial planning, nursing-home care, and end-of-life issues. Lists of sources and sample forms are included along with short bibliographies at the end of each chapter. Teitel emphasizes the need for caregivers to care for themselves, and she includes a chapter featuring stories from other care providers (presented in a question-and-answer format). Yet she rarely mentions her own caregiving stories the very thing that would have set her book apart from Nancy Mace's The 36-Hour Day (LJ 7/99) or Michael Castleman's There's Still a Person in There: The Complete Guide to Treating and Coping with Alzheimer's Disease (LJ 12/99), both of which are more comprehensive caregiver resources. Not an essential purchase. Karen McNally Bensing, Benjamin Rose Inst. Lib., Cleveland
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813529409
• ISBN-13: 978-0813529400
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #779,450 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Blessing!!!, October 28, 2002

By 

Catherine Haslach (Great Neck, New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Handholder's Handbook: A Guide for Caregivers of People with Alzheimer's or Other Dementias (Paperback)

Rosette Teitel is a gifted author. Her book is informative, helpful and full of PRACTICAL coping mechanisms, suggestions and resources. It is clearly written and is a guide on a difficult journey. My family and I found it to be invaluable . Mrs. Teitel addressed specific issues from many angles... all in one book!!
THE HANDHOLDER'S HANDBOOK is a God-send... a MUST READ for caregivers of anyone with dementia/Alzheimer's. If you buy nothing else, BUY AND READ THE HANDHOLDER'S HANDBOOK!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I wish I'd read this book sooner., May 22, 2011

By 

S. Mast (Bronx, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Handholder's Handbook: A Guide for Caregivers of People with Alzheimer's or Other Dementias (Paperback)

I wish I'd read this book (and given it to my stepmother) sooner. She'd been dealing with my father's dementia for several years on her own before I found this book (just weeks before he died). It is written by someone who's not only been there, but who has a wonderful ability to offer practical advice and emotional support simultaneously via an engaging writing style. Just reading this book can make the caregiver feel that she is not alone and can inspire behavioral change that benefits caregiver and care receiver alike. I highly recommend it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a wonderful book!, June 4, 2008

By 

Pat - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Handholder's Handbook: A Guide for Caregivers of People with Alzheimer's or Other Dementias (Hardcover)

I can not say enough good things about this book! The author has given so much advice, both practical and emotional.

You can tell this woman was a teacher as the chapters are clearly organized with a synopsis at the end of each and other sources of info. The index is excellent (and very useful).

Best of all, she writes from the heart...she's been there and knows what the journey is like.