Reviews

For seven years, editor and family caregivers' advocate Stettinius has cared for her mother, Judy, as Judy declined from dementia. Here, she poignantly traces that decline. Stettinius states that although Judy has received excellent care, it has taken much vigilance and advocacy from Stettinius. Dementia is an epidemic: one in eight Americans over 65 has Alzheimer's disease, and about 50 percent of Americans over 85 suffer from it. In nine concise appendixes, Stettinius covers tests to diagnose Alzheimer's, planning for long-term care, long-term care in cohousing (she and her family live in a cohousing community in upstate New York), risk factors and antidotes, the role of sugar in dementia, genetic factors, the role of infection, benefits of a memory consultation, and confronting the epidemic at the national level and beyond through education, legislation, and funding. VERDICT While some of Stettinius's medical suggestions-particularly regarding diet (preventive and management)-are rather new and not fully accepted by the medical establishment (although they are research-based), her memoir is honest, compassionate, and informed and makes for compelling reading. Highly recommended.-Marcia Welsh, Dartmouth Coll. Lib., Hanover, NH (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.