Holly Gershbein

Love, Loss and Dementia Holly Gershbein

"Love, Loss and Dementia" provides the reader with a bird's eye view into the personal lives of two best friends as they each respectively deal with the onset of dementia in their beloved mothers. At times heartbreaking, but always helpful, the authors strive to give validity to the array of feelings that are evoked throughout their painful and challenging journeys. Readers who are going through a similar experience can take comfort in knowing that they are not alone, and will also find many lessons-learned and suggestions as to how to navigate this unfamiliar world. Readers who are professionals in the field of senior care will gain insight as to what it is like for families to lose the personal essence of their loved ones to this tragic and insidious disease. Chapter by chapter, the authors touch on their own experiences in dealing with topics such as downsizing a childhood home, the pain of placing a loved one into a nursing home, long- distance caretaking, family dynamics, communicating with someone who has dementia, and more. Each chapter is followed by a "What I Learned" section, which was written by the authors, in hindsight, as to how things could have been handled differently for a better outcome for all. "Love, Loss and Dementia" is an honest and insightful must-read for everyone whose lives have been touched by dementia.