Living Your Best with Early Stage Alzheimer's by Lisa Snyder,MSW,LCSW

Many books are written for relatives and care givers but not usually to the person most involved.

This book is different, explaining what is happening and about rights and choices in care.

There is a section dealing with relationships This illness can put a great strain on relationships.  How to discuss the illness and a realistic view of different people's reactions.  Lisa Snyder also touches on the importance of explaining it to children in the family.

She treats the reader with respect, not assuming if the reader has the disease they cannot make any decisions about their own care. This is a common problem encountered by people with all types of dementia.  Memory and some other functions may have deteriorated but the sufferer is still the same person and still has feelings which include frustration, embarrassment, anger and feeling insulted. It is important that the person with Alzheimers focuses on what they can do more so than what they can't do.  The book aims to enable people, not disenable them.

Driving is discussed at length as Alzheimers causes memory loss and visionary changes, which can make it very unsafe. The emotional aspect of how people feel about giving up driving, probably for good is sensitively written about.

Snyder has the knack of geniunely putting herself in the other person's shoes.

Suggestions are given for continuing a social life and finding meaningful activities, enjoying life not focusing on what is lost. Sometimes people lose friends but suggestions are made for dealing with this.

This very good book gives a practical guide for everyday living with what can be a very frightening illness,with hope, humour and lists of useful resources for finding information, support groups and further help.

This book is packed with useful information which can raise awareness in any of us.