When Alzheimer’s Disease Strikes
Many illnesses deprive a person only of the present. One becomes ill, feels more or less miserable depending upon the nature and severity of the illness, seeks treatment, and recovers after a relatively brief period of time, suffering the loss only of that time when one was actually ill. Other illnesses for which no cure exists take away not only a person’s present but also the future by prematurely ending the individual’s life. Alzheimer’s disease, however, robs people not only of the present and the future but also the past as their memory of prior events, relationships, and persons gradually slip away.
This book is addressed to those who have primary responsibility for the care of a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia, and to those who assist such persons. It will also be helpful to family members who are not involved in day-to-day caregiving and to others who want to understand more about the illness and its impact on caregivers. Clergy who would like to minister more effectively to families affected by Alzheimer’s disease and friends who want to help but are uncomfortable in the presence of a dimenting illness will also benefit. This book thus fits the goal of Desert Ministries: to bring the living water of the Gospel to those in need. I hope it helps you in your journey.
