Dignity for Deeply Forgetful People: How Caregivers Can Meet the Challenges of Alzheimer's Disease

Stephen G. Post's book combines new ethics guidelines with an innovative program to communicate and connect with people with Alzheimer's. He argues for a deeper dignity grounded in consciousness, emotional presence, creativity, interdependence, music, and a self that is not gone but differently abled. He provides practical topics such as understanding the experience of dementia, noticing subtle expressions of continuing selfhood, and perspectives on ethical quandaries. He also emphasizes the value of art, poetry, symbols, personalized music, and nature in revealing self-identity and the value of trained dementia companion dogs. Post argues that focusing discussion and resources on the relational dignity of these individuals and the respite needs of their caregivers is vital, and provides a cautionary perspective on preemptive assisted suicide.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 26 July 2022
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press

For caregivers of deeply forgetful people, a book that combines new ethics guidelines with an innovative program on how to communicate and connect with people with Alzheimer's.

How do we approach a deeply forgetful loved one so as to notice and affirm their continuing self-identity? For three decades, Stephen G. Post has worked around the world encouraging caregivers to become more aware of—and find renewed hope in—surprising expressions of selfhood despite the challenges of cognitive decline.

In this book, Post offers new perspectives on the worth and dignity of people with Alzheimer's and related disorders despite the negative influence of hypercognitive values that place an ethically unacceptable emphasis on human dignity as based on linear rationality and strength of memory. This bias, Post argues, is responsible for the abusive exclusion of this population from our shared humanity. With vignettes and narratives, he argues for a deeper dignity grounded in consciousness, emotional presence, creativity, interdependence, music, and a self that is not gone but differently abled. Post covers key practical topics such as:

• understanding the experience of dementia
• noticing subtle expressions of continuing selfhood, including paradoxical lucidity
• perspectives on ethical quandaries from diagnosis to terminal care and everything in between, as gleaned from the voices of caregivers
• how to communicate optimally and use language effectively
• the value of art, poetry, symbols, personalized music, and nature in revealing self-identity
• the value of trained dementia companion dogs

At a time when medical advances to cure these conditions are still out of reach and the most recent drugs have shown limited effectiveness, Post argues that focusing discussion and resources on the well-being and dignity of people with Alzheimer's and related disorders is essential. By recognizing the unique abilities and strengths of individuals with these conditions, caregivers can create a supportive and compassionate environment that promotes their self-identity and quality of life. This book provides valuable insights and practical strategies for caregivers seeking to provide the best possible care for their loved ones.

Weight: 408g
Dimension: 153 x 228 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781421442501