There may be more books than ever about dementia. But few prove as helpful and practical for those who find themselves at a loss when the diagnosis is first made than Jane Mullins' Finding the Light in Dementia: A guide for Families and caregivers (DUETcare, 2017).
The author is a dementia nurse consultant and has worked for the past 25 years in Memory Clinics in Bath and Cardiff, and in care homes and hospital settings. Dr Mullins says, 'I have written a book – based on my practice and my PhD. My research explored multi-sensory ways for families to communicate and reconnect with their loved ones living with moderate dementia.'
There are sections on how to face up to the situation post-diagnosis and make positive plans for the future; how to find ways to help you communicate well together; how to help someone you are caring for feel content and safe at home; gentle approaches to help you both feel rested; how good nutrition and hydration can provide balance in your lives; and new approaches to avoid distress.
If or when care is no longer possible at home, there's advice, too, on choosing the right residential care. Jane Mullins' book is not published by a large, well-known publisher, so she says she has to work tirelessly to get this into the public domain.
Some of the proceeds go to the Dementia Engagement and Empowerment Programme (DEEP), which brings together groups of people with dementia from across the UK to influence the services and policies that affect them. DEEP supports these groups to try to change services and policies that affect the lives of people with dementia.
Find out more at findingthelightindementia.com