Book Review: The Dementia Handbook by Judy Cornish

The Dementia Handbook by Judy Cornish is an excellent book for anyone caring for an elder with dementia.  It is not intimidating, as it is very short, and could even be read in one sitting.  It is also chock full of great advice on how to make caring for a loved one with dementia more enjoyable for the loved one and the caregiver. 

The author starts by explaining what is lost during dementia and what is retained.  She talks about rational thought being lost.  Rational thought she describes as the ability to understand cause and effect, prioritization and the steps in a process.  She states that intuitive thought, the ability to understand feelings and appreciate beauty and the five senses, is retained.  Through understanding your loved one and this process a person-centered approach to care can be developed. 

Judy Cornish says “… I propose that we see dementia as a devastating condition, one that causes great expense to families, Medicare and Medicaid, but not a hopeless one.  If we provide habilitative care and educate ourselves about the skills and abilities that people with dementia retain, we can maximize function, preserve dignity, and keep our loved ones at home longer.”

She talks about the 5 keys to helping a person with dementia which are: managing mood, supporting security needs, enhancing well-being, looking for beauty and managing stimulation.  She shows that people with dementia can be happy and relaxed if their abilities in these areas are focused on and enhanced.  She says that it is up to the caregiver to create a positive mood for their elder.  “When we are not actively creating positive moods for someone with dementia, we are actively allowing negative moods to develop and continue.” She talks about the importance of making a person with dementia feel safe in a way that preserves the elder’s autonomy and dignity.  She talks at length about enhancing the elder’s well-being by helping the elder be socially successful, allowing the elder to have a sense of control and value and helping the elder feel secure.  She gives tips on how the caregiver can look for beauty in everyday life as this is an appreciation that is enhanced for a person with dementia and finally, she talks about the importance of managing stimulation, making sure that the elder is stimulated enough, but not too much.

The meat of the book is in a chapter which describes person-centered care applied to everyday life.  This chapter is especially helpful as it talks about many of the tasks and situations that a person caring for a person with dementia will and might encounter and tips and techniques for making these experiences successful.  She writes about how to manage a calendar and schedule activities, how to converse with an elder with dementia, including particularly interesting and helpful ideas on how to have a successful phone conversation.  She talks about how to manage mealtime and deal with decreased appetite.  She gives essential advice on how to help an elder with dementia use the bathroom and dress.  She also talks about such things as how to deal with lost items, mistaken identity, and masking (the hiding of episodes of forgetfulness).  An especially touching part is where she gives advice on how to encourage an elder’s generosity and love, by helping them buy gifts for their loved ones. 

As a geriatric social worker, this book is among the most helpful, approachable, and optimistic that I have read on the topic of caring for a person with dementia.  I am excited to recommend this to any family member or caregiver as I think it gives very practical advice for dealing with everyday tasks and challenges and it is empathic to the needs of both the elder and the caregiver.