The Harsh Realities of Alzheimer's Care

An Insider's View of How People with Dementia Are Treated in Institutions

Andrew Seth Rosenzweig MD

• Publisher: Praeger
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9780313398902
• eBook ISBN: 9780313398919
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: History & Theory in Psychology
• Index: Psychology

A prominent geriatric psychiatrist details the good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of places where those with dementia are treated—from emergency rooms and psychiatric hospitals to assisted living facilities and nursing homes. The Harsh Realities of Alzheimer's Care: An Insider's View of How People with Dementia Are Treated in Institutions is the first book of its kind. Written by an eminent geriatric psychiatrist who has worked with dementia patients in more than 70 facilities, the book distills all he has learned about dementia care, for better and, more often, for worse. Both a shocking exposé and a practical guide, the book takes readers into nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospitals. It reveals the inadequacies and dangers of these institutions, detailing issues that result in poor care including federal standards for minimum staff training that are, in some cases, lower than those established for dog groomers. The author cites improvements that must be made in emergency rooms and inpatient psychiatric facilities treating victims of dementia, and he documents the downside of memory clinics. But there are steps caregivers can take to protect their loved ones—and themselves. Each chapter concludes with "reality lessons" that offer practical, affordable strategies for coping with dementia's many challenges.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Series Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1. The Syndrome of Dementia: Myths, Misunderstandings, Progress, and Setbacks
• 2. My Experience with Alzheimer's Disease
• 3. Caregivers, Costs, and Concerns
• 4. The Nursing Home: Unrealistic Expectations
• 5. The Assisted Living Facility: Pristine Living with a Catch
• 6. Respite Care: More Than Just a Break
• 7. The Inpatient Psychiatric Unit: All Those Resources but So Little Time
• 8. Memory Clinics and Clinical Research Trials: Treatment vs. Recruitment
• 9. Mental Capacity and Decision Making in Dementia: The Changing of the Will
• 10. The Shrinking Workforce: Why Isn't There an Old Age Doctor in the House?
• 11. Reasons for Hope: Strategies for Improving Quality of Life for Those Affected by Dementia
• Appendix: Select Sections of Current Nursing Home Federal Regulations
• Works Cited
• Suggested Resources
• Index