Richard Mathes Fenker

The Long Moment, Giving a Voice to the Alzheimer's Mind: a Caregiver's Guide Richard Mathes Fenker

This is a book for both caregivers and individuals with Alzheimer's disease. It offers understanding, hope and practical communication tools for Alzheimer's patients. The onset of Alzheimer's brings with it much fear and uncertainty in part because of the loss of left-brain, speech-oriented communication skills; yet the need to communicate is present throughout the course of the disease. The Long Moment explains that much of the breakdown here occurs because caregivers and patients with Alzheimer's are no longer sharing the same world or the same shared sense of time. We take for granted that time has a past, present and future in Earth-reality whereas on planet Altzair (home of the Alzheimer's mind) there is only a present tense. To give Alzheimer's patients a voice the book introduces the idea of the Alzheimer's Cards, simple but powerful tools for individuals to use at all stages of the disease. It also suggests that caregivers fully accept the individual with the disease without evaluation and focus on creating as many quality long moments as possible. It is written in a light, flowing style and illustrated with many cartoons, drawings and stories.