When Your Parent Becomes Your Child

A Journey of Faith Through My Mother's Dementia

Ken Abraham

• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9780849947278
• eBook ISBN: 9780849949944
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Church

At first, Ken Abraham wrote off his mother's changes in behavior as quirks that just come with old age. There was memory loss, physical decline, hygiene issues, paranoia, and uncharacteristic attitudes. He soon realized that dementia had changed her life—and his familiy's—forever.

"How is it possible to lose a loved one while he or she is still living, still sitting right in front of you, talking with you, smiling at you—and yet the person you have known and loved for years is somehow gone?"

According to the Alzheimer's Association, an estimated 5.4 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer's disease. That's one in eight older Americans. More than likely, that figure includes someone you know and love.

As he chronicles his own mother's degenerative condition, New York Times best-selling writer Ken Abraham educates while offering inspiration to help readers cope with and manage their family circumstances. With humor and spiritual reminders of God's command to honor our parents, Abraham encourages readers through often-difficult responsibilities. And though in most cases patients will not recover this side of heaven, he suggests many practical things that families can do to make the experience safer, kinder, and more endurable for everyone involved.

When Your parent Becomes Your Child tells the story of one family's journey through dementia while offering hope to family members and friends, that they might better understand the effects of the disease. Dont let this catch you by surprise—be informed before you face the challenges and difficulties of a loved one with Alzheimer's or dementia. This book can help.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Chapter 1: The Men in White Suits
• Chapter 2: Recognizing the Enemy
• Chapter 3: The Mom I Used to Know
• Chapter 4: One Is the Loneliest Number
• Chapter 5: Moving Out, Moving in
• Chapter 6: Paranoia and Suspicions
• Chapter 7: That Doesn’t Even Sound like Grandma!
• Chapter 8: Accidents Happen
• Chapter 9: The Strange Urge to Steal and Other Signs We Missed
• Chapter 10: When Living Alone Is No Longer Possible
• Chapter 11: Making the Move
• Chapter 12: The Spiritual Matters
• Chapter 13: Accepting Reality
• Chapter 14: Unwarranted Accusations and Incessant Phone Calls
• Chapter 15: Memory Problems? What Memory Problems?
• Chapter 16: The Senile Leading the Senile
• Chapter 17: Mixed Blessings
• Chapter 18: The Turning Point
• Chapter 19: A Poignant Reminder
• Chapter 20: Rehab World
• Chapter 21: The Memory Unit
• Chapter 22: The Nursing Home Decision
• Chapter 23: Monitor Medications
• Chapter 24: Graceland
• Chapter 25: Staying Connected
• Chapter 26: Relative “Truth”
• Chapter 27: It’s the Right Thing to Do
• Chapter 28: The Child within
• Chapter 29: Step down
• Chapter 30: Return to Grace
• Chapter 31: I Can’t Find My Toes
• Chapter 32: Why Must She Go through This?
• Chapter 33: Homeward Bound
• Chapter 34: Now It’s Time to Say Good-Bye
• Chapter 35: Bringing in Reinforcements
• Chapter 36: Down the Homestretch
• Chapter 37: This Really Stinks
• Chapter 38: Last Call
• Chapter 39: The Haunting, Unspoken Questions
• Notes
• About the Author