Books
Books offer an alternative to the quick YouTube videos or magazine articles in that they delve deeply into a subject matter. The books suggested here cover not only the direct and obvious aspects of dementia and caregiving but also those tangential topics of self-care, cherishing the ordinary moments, grieving without excuses, and savoring love. I can personally recommend each of these:
We Danced: Our Story of Love and Dementia by Scott Rose
What if it’s not Alzheimer’s by Gary Radin and Lisa Radin
His Brain Won’t Reboot by Ernestina Connolly
The Care and Feeding of Caregivers by Martha L. Garmon
It’s OK that you’re NOT OK by Megan Devine (managing grief)
Tattoos on the Heart by Gregory Boyle
Radical Compassion by Tara Brach
The Power of Moments by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Elegant Choices, Healing Choices by Marsha Sinetar
Life is in the Transitions by Bruce Feiler
Ellie’s Butterflies by Alecia Smith (understanding dementia from a child’s perspective)
Music Therapy
Alison Rios is the Outreach Coordinator for RetireGuide and shared the following:
Music and music therapy has a number of well-known benefits for the mind, yet many people don’t realize the impact it can have on healthy aging. The potential benefits of music therapy for older adults include improved cognition, increased social skills and better movement and mobility. To bring awareness to this important treatment option for seniors, we recently created a guide that covers the following:
– What music therapy is
– How it can help seniors and Alzheimer’s / Dementia / Palliative care patients
– Types of music therapy activities, and more.
Please feel free to take a look:
https://www.retireguide.com/retirement-life-leisure/healthy-aging/mental-wellness/music-therapy/
More
Sometimes a podcast or YouTube session works better for your schedule. These are a couple I can recommend:
Dementia Careblazers with Dr. Natali Edmonds is a great series of videos. Her introduction video is here: Dementia Careblazers – YouTube
Remember Me Podcast is with Rachael and Maria who have both lost parents to FTD and interview others that share their stories – very uplifting work. The link to their podcasts is here: Remember Me on Apple Podcasts