1st Edition
A Guide for Lewy Body Dementia Caregivers Caring with Compassion
A Guide for Lewy Body Dementia Caregivers: Caring with Compassion is a daughter’s heartbreaking yet hopeful account of her secondary caregiving journey for her mother who has Lewy body dementia (LBD).
This compassion guidebook is a friendly and practical companion for helping those affected by LBD and other memory-related diseases. The author offers guidance about coping with the strain of being a caregiver and the importance of self-compassion as well as compassion, whilst on the journey. She uses her personal experience to touch on relatable subjects associated with memory loss such as object misplacement, visual changes, family gatherings, hospital visits, respite care, memory care and anticipatory grief. This book includes an introductory chapter on the science behind LBD by an internationally renowned behavioral neurologist. It discusses the core symptoms and latest research to ground the personal experiences in science. Each following chapter contains a lesson learned and is a bite sized length, so busy caregivers can read as time allows.
This is essential reading for those caring for someone with LBD to help understand the realities of this disease and to support them along the way.
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgements
PART 1: THE SCIENCE
Bruce L. Miller
Chapter 1: What Is Lewy Body Dementia?
PART 2: THE EXPERIENCE
Kimberly Pellicore
Chapter 2: The Brain Can Be as Beautiful as It Is Dangerous
Chapter 3: Control Is Only an Illusion
Chapter 4: To Be Scared Is Okay, To Be Absent Is Not
Chapter 5: Your Name Is Not Important
Chapter 6: Music Can Be Healing
Chapter 7: Expect Visual Changes
Chapter 8: Embrace Love and Ditch Logic
Chapter 9: Be Proactive Because Things Will Go Missing
Chapter 10: Home Is Where the Heart Is
Chapter 11: Changes May Be Needed
Chapter 12: The Effects of Changing Your Loved One’s Location
Chapter 13: Holidays and Gatherings
Chapter 14: A Word of Caution About Hospital Visits
Chapter 15: Love Your Person as They Are
Chapter 16: There Is No Tired Like Caregiver Tired
Chapter 17: Friends and Community Are Lifelines
Chapter 18: Protecting Your Loved One and Yourself
Chapter 19: The Importance of Elder Law Attorneys
Chapter 20: Know What Circumstances Call for Professional Help
Chapter 21: Home and Respite Care
Chapter 22: Making the Move to Memory Care
Chapter 23: Visiting Memory Care
Chapter 24: Anticipatory Grief
Chapter 25: Tomorrow Is Not Guaranteed
Chapter 26: You Will Not Be the Same Person
Chapter 27: When The End Is Near
Chapter 28: Life Is Meant to Be Lived
Chapter 29: Finding the Way Through Loss
Chapter 30: Epilogue
Biography
Kimberly Pellicore is an established writer and editor. She is a graduate of Texas A&M University and finds her words shine brightest when she is using them to help others. She is a proud wife and mother of two who lives in Houston, Texas.
Dr. Bruce L. Miller holds the A.W. and Mary Margaret Clausen Distinguished Professorship in Neurology at UC San Francisco and is the founding director of the Memory and Aging Center and the Global Brain Health Institute. As a behavioral neurologist, he studies social behavior, creativity and disorders of the aging brain.
"In her book A Guide for Lewy Body Dementia Caregivers: Caring with Compassion, Pellicore poignantly teaches the hard but powerful lessons she has gained through her mom’s LBD journey allowing readers to draw upon her wisdom for practical guidance in their caretaking experience."
Quinn Kelly, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
