Author Description

This is a book for caretakers for those with Alzheimers but much can be applied to other forms of dementia as well. This book is also for the person’s family and their friends. It takes the reader through Alzheimer’s general stages, and the corresponding support needed, from the beginning ‘absent-minded’ stage to the time when the person requires complete care. Ah Ha! It is Dementia will take you quickly through the journey of the life of a person with Alzheimer’s Disease. Our purpose is not to teach you scientific terms, to drown you in numerous resources, or even give you tip after tip on how to deal with Alzheimer’s. Rather, our purpose is to give you something different, something practical—a brief, simple understanding of these challenging steps (we’re trying to get away from the word “stages”) of Alzheimer’s for someone who is asking the question, “How do I even get started?” This booklet can be useful for caregivers in the home, as well as professionals in the field caring for individuals with Alzheimer’s. No more does one have to muddle through and try to understand the 16 or more different stages of Alzheimer’s, or perhaps only 7 stages, or even just 3. AH HA—our new concept—is easy to remember for everyone. The four steps will be handy in understanding the process of change, and the reader most likely will be able to recall easily each step by the time this little book is put aside. We will take you from “Absent-Minded” to “Hope” to “Help,” and finally, yet quickly, to “All-Care.” The first letters of the four steps stand for the previously listed words. You get it now—AH HA! Using this acronym made it easy for us to remember AH HA! We believe that AH HA! will not only be easy for you to remember as well, but will serve as a guide in helping you to recognize the symptoms in order to be mentally prepared and effectively cope with what is happening to the individual who has Alzheimer’s.