Customer Reviews

Voices Of Alzheimer's: Courage, Humor, Hope, And Love In The Face Of Dementia

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It is difficult to put into words how this book affected me. It is a page turner, not because it is suspenseful, but because I continued to want more of the wise, kind, and loving thoughts that came through on every page. I was awed by the patients' own words, and the honest thoughts of family and friends. Although helpful resources are provided, it is the positive attitudes of those touched by this disease that will lead me to this book again and again as the need for hope and support arises.

It's a wonderful book. Its power is in the innocence and simplicity of the quotes. It moves you from complete unawareness of the disease, up through recognition and understanding.

I bought it for my husband, whose mother is in the middle stages of Alzheimers. He read it, or should I say, devoured it, immediately. Then he bought one for his sister (he didn't want to give away his copy).

It's a text book on the progression of Alzheimers, written by people who were there, and woven into a beautiful story. It brings about a sense of peace after reading it.

This small book is a treasure of honest and deep sharing on the part of dementia patients and their caregivers and loved ones. The book is visually very attractive, the content is well organized, and the quotes--covering the full spectrum of sadness and anger to wisdom, humor, hope, and gratitude--are interspersed with the author's own moving story. Reading this has enabled me to relate with much greater understanding and confidence to those with Alzheimer's, and there is an excellent section on available resources. Voices of Alzheimer's is unique in the literature on the subject and deserves to become a classic in the field.

Jenneke Barton

This book is a small treasure. I keep picking it up a reading different passages. It helps me understand and appreciate my father, who has Alzheimer's, in ways that I have forgotten.

It helped the whole family, even dad picked it up to read.

Thanks for a fabulous book,

My name is Doreen. I am one of the people in Betsy Peterson's book. She mailed me a signed copy which I have lent to other people and they also found it very useful. I am writing this to let people know that even though the book is called Voices of Alzheimers, it is really a book about Dementia in general (my diagnosis is Pick's Disease, not Alzheimers and as the book indicates they later changed Betsy Peterson's husband's diagnosis from Alzheimer's to another dementia). So if you have a family member who has a dementia other than Alzheimers, you can also find helpful (and hopeful) information in this book.

Betsy Peterson includes at the start of her book a brief history of the fourteen years (fourteen years!) she spent looking after her husband Pete as he descended into Alzheimer's. But most of the book is a compilation of quotes by Alzheimer's patients, their caregivers, and an occasional counselor or author. The quotations are divided into 32 sections, with topics such as Something's Wrong, Invisible Disability, and As Words Fail, and I read almost every line with interest.

The author Sue Miller is represented, with a passage from her book that I wish I'd paid more attention to when I first read it: "I didn't know then that aggression and disruptive bahavior are often signs of physical discomfort in Alzheimer's patients. Now that I do, I suspect my father was in pain during these episodes, but that he himself had no understanding of this in a conventional sense and certainly no way to say, `I hurt.'"

S.G., a daughter, tells us, "My sister noticed that my mother was having difficulty holding down any food. She also seemed very weak and despondent. When we questioned her about how she felt, she was `just fine.' We took her to the hospital and discovered she'd had a severe heart attack. You need to be suspicious, doubting, persistent and very observant to diagnose illness in an Alzheimer's patient."

There are hundreds of entries, some longer than these, many shorter. "A degree of denial is essential," one patient writes. "Like somebody sipping hot coffee, we sip the truth of our condition carefully and gently."

Some show a world in a single line: "She follows me all over the house. Follows me around like a puppy dog."

I could go on quoting, but best buy the book and keep it close. You'll find a hundred revelations that will touch your heart, and a hundred more that will reveal something new about this earthquake of a disease.

I was overwhelmed by the brilliance of this book, which highlighted the depth of the author's understanding of living with Alzheimer's Disease. The author had surrounded her husband with love as she learned to deal with his progressive neurological condition. She also portrayed in a remarkable way the differing situations of others who have struggled to understand, care for their loved ones and to maintain and develop self-care. Knowing the author personally, I am not surprised at the charm and creativity which emanate from this lovely book about one of the most devastating illnesses we can imagine. I was truly blessed to have been one of the support group leaders for families of people with Alzheimer's disease; I am not impartial since I have always been in awe of the author's concern for others,her unconditional love for her husband and her own unique gifts of style and grace.

A great book that outlines my ideas on facing the caregiving of someone with dementia!

There is finally a book that is eay to handle and easy to read. A book you can turn to over and over again to know you aren't alone; it comes straight from the hearts and souls of those who can really tell you what "it's" like. Those who have traveled the journey through this illnes. It's "their" thoughts and feelings in "their" own words. Very insightful, very touching, very real! BRAVO!!!