Your Name Is Hughes Hannibal Shanks: A Caregiver's Guide to Alzheimer's (Bison Book) [Paperback]

Lela Knox Shanks (Author), Steven H. Zarit (Foreword)

Book Description

Series: Bison Book | Publication Date: April 1, 2005

Your Name Is Hughes Hannibal Shanks is Lela Knox Shanks’s personal account of caring for her husband, Hughes, in their home after he was stricken with Alzheimer’s disease. Lela describes her initial denial, her discovery of coping skills, her eventual acceptance of his illness, and her ultimate recognition that the key to successful caregiving lies in never losing sight of the patient’s humanness. The book outlines twenty coping and survival strategies to guide caregivers to untapped inner resources and shows caregiving’s intangible rewards of increased self-respect and self-knowledge.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In August 1984, Lela Knox Shanks saw the first sign that her life and that of her husband would change forever. "Hughes was driving, and suddenly he called me Nena, our older daughter's name... he continued to repeat the mistake.... And then he said, 'How are the kids doing in the back seat?'" As their children were all grown, she knew something was wrong. Shanks had shown the first sign of Alzheimer's: "Irreversible and deadly, it is the fourth leading cause of death in adults in the United States today," Shanks explains in her introduction. Experts frequently recommend placement in a nursing home, but Shanks rejected that idea, in part strengthened by the knowledge that she had already cared for her parents, who died of cancer. With very little information about the disease, she set out on her own, learning as she went how to care for an Alzheimer's patient at home. Shanks tells exactly what it is like to live with Alzheimer's, and how to have a life in the process. She provides an overview of how the disease progresses, tells what to expect and suggests ways to cope. Hughes Shanks had spent 30 years working for the federal government and was the first African American hired by his Social Security Administration office in the 1950s. For his wife, the key became to remember his courage and pride and to continue to see her husband, no matter how diminished in capacity, as a human being in need of her love and care. Shanks is a remarkably strong woman, and her choice might not be right for everyone, but all can learn from her experience.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

This beautifully crafted book depicts the joys and sorrows of caring for a relative diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Using her own experience of caring for her husband as an example, Shanks provides accurate information regarding issues faced by Alzheimer's patients such as adult day care, medical costs, insurance, and the like. She also suggests ways of dealing with specific problem behaviors (violence, incontinence), tips on caring for the patient's physical comfort, and recommendations on how to ensure structure and routine for the patient. A unique chapter devoted to the stress of caregiving offers advice for both body and soul, such as meditation, the appreciation of small joys, and the use of emotional detachment. Essential for all caregivers looking for a creative approach to helping Alzheimer's patients live their lives fully; for public and medical libraries.?Linda D. Malone, Walter Reed Hospice, Gloucester, Va.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 195 pages
• Publisher: Bison Books (April 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803293283
• ISBN-13: 978-0803293281
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #636,808 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I am one of Lela Shanks grandaughters., January 6, 2000

By 

Carrie Shanks (Nebraska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Your Name Is Hughes Hannibal Shanks: A Caregiver's Guide to Alzheimer's (Agendas for Aging) (Hardcover)

I strongly encourage anyone facing any type of involvement with an Alzheimer's patient to read this book. Anyone who knows the author could tell you that she is the type of person who is honest and straightforward. This book is a mirror image of her personality. There are practical solutions to the day to day trials of dealing with an Alzheimer's patient as well as an overwhelming sense of love and acceptance for the entire situation. The book also deals with the importance of support for caregivers. The best thing you can do to support yourself or anyone involved with an Alzheimer's patient is to love them. The second best thing you can do is to educate everyone involved. Start with this book and it will open your eyes and your heart in ways you never thought possible.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Caregiver Guide to Alzheimer's, April 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Your Name Is Hughes Hannibal Shanks: A Caregiver's Guide to Alzheimer's (Agendas for Aging) (Paperback)

I received this book as a gift from a long-time friend about a year after my Father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. This book made me laugh, cry and get angry, but most of all it became a companion during the long, hard care of my Father. Mrs. Shanks gives the patient and caregiver humanity. She includes tips for care and really lets the caregiver know what to expect in dealing with this terrible disease. Of all the books I have read dealing with Alzheimer's this is clearly the best!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lela Shanks is a true inspiration!, October 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Your Name Is Hughes Hannibal Shanks: A Caregiver's Guide to Alzheimer's (Agendas for Aging) (Hardcover)

For any family going through this heart-wrenching disease with all of it's struggles, this book should be mandatory reading. I have found, as a daughter of an Alzheimer victim, that people are afraid to ask you about your loved one, because they don't know how to react. Lela Shanks is to be admired for her enlightenment of this disease. This book should be handed out to any family upon the diagnosis of Alzheimers.