Voices of Alzheimer’s is a
collection of quotations from people who have Alzheimer’s, or have received a
diagnosis of a similar disease, or people who care for them.   Most of these
are from previously published accounts in books, newspapers, magazines, TV and
radio shows, or the Internet.  They are collected in many chapters with
different overlapping themes.  They express many different emotions that arise
when dealing with progressively worsening dementia, and of course most of them
show sadness, frustration, confusion, anger, and grief.  Some quotations
reflect on what the speaker learned or how their experience was different from
that of others.  Patients often have surprising things to say, and sometimes
they are funny or at least bittersweet.  This is not a book that is going to
provide comprehensive information about Alzheimer’s, but it is an easy read
that you can pick and put down at any time, browsing through it again and
again, finding something striking every time.  As such, it may be helpful to
people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s or family members caring for
Alzheimer patients who don’t have time to sit down and read a book from
beginning to end.  It gives a personal outlook on the difficulties by people
coping with long days and hard choices, and it is often very moving. 

© 2006 Christian
Perring. All rights reserved.

 Christian Perring, Ph.D., is
Chair of the Philosophy Department at Dowling College, Long Island, and editor
of Metapsychology Online Reviews.  His main research is on
philosophical issues in medicine, psychiatry and psychology.

Categories: General, Memoirs