The Loss of Self: A Family Resource for the Care of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders (Revised Edition) [Paperback]

Donna Cohen (Author), Carl Eisdorfer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 17, 2002

A tremendous resource for all those grappling with Alzheimer's disease, including patients, families, caregivers, and professionals.

This fully revised and updated edition gives the latest information on causes, preventive measures, diagnosis, treatment, and drugs. But The Loss of Self goes even further than the biological, medical, and social issues to explore the emotional challenges any person coping with Alzheimer's will experience. Personal stories give hope, dignity, and ideas for solving even the most difficult problems such as sexuality, violence, abuse, and family conflict. The Loss of Self speaks to those suffering from Alzheimer's and to family members wanting to understand how to help a relative and to meet their own needs over the long years of caring.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Despite greater public awareness and continued research, no cure for Alzeheimer's Disease has yet been found. However, Eisdorfer, president/chief executive officer of Montefiore Medical Center and professor of psychiatry and neurosciences at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Cohen, a gerontologist also affiliated with Montefiore and Einstein College, believe that these accounts of how families have coped with the debilitating disease may help other afflicted families to better manage the lives of the patient and themselves. The authors advise readers on developing and implementing a comprehensive, affordable life care plan to handle both practical and emotional matters. They discuss the sensitive relationships between doctor, family and patient, and the need to consider the interests of individual family members. The selection of a nursing home and chapters on dying and the cost of care complete this compassionate and sensible guidebook.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The authors offer timely and necessary advice for the families of the more than two million Americans facing various dementias. The book reflects state of the art information as well as the authors' extensive experience in assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation for dementia patients and their families. Included is practical information on "what to do after the diagnosis, where to go for help, . . . how to care for the patient at home, when to institutionalize the patient." Drug information provided in the text and an appendix is particularly useful. The authors' insights and their personalized narrative make the book very readable. Although some information is duplicated elsewhere, this is the most succinctly informative and inclusive book on the topic to date. For public libraries and subject collections. Nancy B. Burrell, M.L.S., IBID Inc., Sarasota, Fla.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; Revised Edition edition (August 17, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393323331
• ISBN-13: 978-0393323337
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #121,809 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #44 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Aging Parents
  • #69 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Disorders & Diseases > Nervous System

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enrich your understanding of how the disease affects victim, August 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Loss of Self: A Family Resource for the Care of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders (Paperback)

This is a book caregivers can hand to relatives and friends to read in order to enrich their understanding of how the disease affects both the victim and their caregiver. It is not only informative in a very practical and easy to read manner but it is sensitive and to the point about the stages of Alzheimer's Disease and the human needs of the people who face this illness. The personal stories highlighted are described in ways that aren't merely words on paper written by someone safely detached from the impact this illness has on living people. This book stands out in my mind for that reason. It also speaks to the loss of relationships as the illness progresses. I refer to over and over and its one of the first I read after I realized my husband Tom and I were facing Alzheimer's Disease.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource and Beautifully Written, April 23, 2001

By 

P. Wayne Hill (Saint Petersburg, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Loss of Self: A Family Resource for the Care of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, Revised Edition (Hardcover)

I was deeply involved in the creation of this edition, and I can say from experience that the authors have crafted a masterpiece. So much work, diligence, research, and love went into this revision. It is a great resource for family members of someone with Alzheimer's and related disorders, physician's and other practitioners, and even people who have been recently diagnosed. It can be used to educate someone who knows little about dementia or offer a new perspective to the experienced clinician. I highly recommend this book!

5.0 out of 5 stars LOSS OF SELF, February 1, 2011

By 

BRENDA ALLEVA - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Loss of Self: A Family Resource for the Care of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders (Revised Edition) (Paperback)

MY MOTHER HAS ALZEIMER'S, AND MY HUSBAN AND I ARE TAKING CARE OF HER. THIS BOOK HELP ME SO MUCH I JUST CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH. I NEVER READ MANY BOOKS, BUT A FRIEND TOLD ME ABOUT IT AND I MUST SAY I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN .I HAVE TOLD EVERYONE ABOUT THIS BOOK AND HOW MUCH IT HAS HELPED US. ALL I CAN SAY IS, THANK YOU SO MUCH, IT GETS ME THOUGH EACH DAY.