When his wife Jane was diagnosed with Alzheimer's dementia, Jeff Camhi believed he could manage caring for her at home. From his professional background in neurobiology, he had some idea how the illness might progress, and his recent retirement left him time to be her caregiver.
But as Jane's dementia increased, he began to feel overwhelmed. He started meeting twice-monthly, for a year and a half, with a professor of occupational therapy who advised him on caring for Jane, but even more on caring for himself. The result was life-changing.
Thought-provoking and compassionate,
Care for the Carer: An Alzheimer's Memoir
is essential reading for anybody troubled by the pressure of caregiving.