Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for gifting me a digital ARC of this informative book by Dasha Kiper - 4.5 stars rounded up!
Dasha Kiper was getting her master's in clinical psychology and at the same time was a caregiver to an elderly gentleman with Alzheimer's. With that experience, and the experience of being a counselor for caretakers for over 10 years, she wrote this book which gives case studies and scientific knowledge and insight into the difficulties of caring for someone with dementia.
Some of these stories are so sad and difficult to listen to, but they also left me feeling grateful. I'm dealing with this issue now, as my mother moved in with us about 18 months ago and is dealing with mild/moderate cognitive impairment. I saw myself and my mom in these stories and it left me feeling validated and heard. It's difficult to separate the person from the disease and at these beginning stages, that is the biggest struggle. While Kiper stresses that caretakers need to forgive themselves, I wish she could have provided some more concrete examples and ways to handle some of the situations confronted. However, I will be rereading this one to let some of the lessons sink in.
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