The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer Disease, Other Dementias, and Memory Loss in Later Life

by Peter V. Rabins and Nancy L. Mace

Book Overview

With over 3.5 million copies sold, the bestselling guide to understanding and caring for people with dementia is now completely revised and updated!For 40 years, The 36-Hour Day has been the leading... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801885094
• ISBN13: 9780801885099
• Release Date: November 2006
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
• Length: 324 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

A Must Read

Anyone who has a alzheimer person in their family must read this book it is so helpful in knowing how to care for the person

Excellent help for hard times

I mentioned this to a priest who works with hospice, and she told me it was the standard work for families on the topic of dementia. It really is a very practical, humane, and sensible work. A lot of good ideas, with no perky guarantees that this or that one will work for everyone. A lot of needed reminders that the person isn't acting this way out of malice. A lot of compassion for the feelings, both sad and angry, of the caregiver. I took this book from the library, read it, and immediately bought a large print edition for my mother. Even if you aren't the primary caregiver, you need to read this to fully understand what's happening back home with Dad or Mom.

The Answers I Have Been Searching For

It doesn't give medical advice, it doesn't give technical advice, although it provides resources for seeking such advice. What it does give are explanations and insights into the thinking of brain impaired persons, explanations for their behaviors, and advice on how to manage and cope with being their caregiver. These are exactly the answers I have been searching for. So many of my father's actions, reactions and behaviors are profiled in this book, and it's becoming clear that his decline had started many years ago with smaller incidents that we as his family had dismissed. The path of progression can be tracked, and even predicted. It will be helpful to know what's coming next and be prepared. But most important to me is the understanding of why. Being able to understand the why of his behavior helps me a great deal in being able to let go of the anger and to cope better with the situation that has recently escalated to horrific. In trying to manage the situation I have started taking anti-anxiety meds, as well as antidepressants and high blood pressure med. I have done all that I can to make changes within myself, yet things have gotten progressively worse. I am beginning to understand that these changes have been part of the problem in a sense in that I have become "unpredictable" to him in not reacting the way he expects me to.

Provides direction and help for caretakers and loved ones

A truly remarkable book. It is well written, and very easy to read and follow, providing a background in this disease and what can/will happen to those afflicted. Providing extremely helpful insights and strategies for those of us who are caregivers, spouses, sons, daughters, and other family and friends. Personally, this book helped me to understand what was happening to my mother, helped me to be more understanding and less frustrated and annoyed with her. This book provides a great deal of insight and allows the reader to get a "feel" for the current situation and possible future situations. I have recommended this book to my personal physician to pass along to her other patients who may be in the same position as I am.

Help for Caregivers

Cuando el Día tiene 36 horas (The 36 Hour Day) by Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rabins is an excellent resouce for those trying to cope with tasks of caregiving to people suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. Alzheimer's Disease robs hundreds of thousands of people of their ability to remember and process new information. While this disease directly affects individuals, it indirectly affects family members, caregivers, friends, co-workers who are left with the seemingly impossible task of providing support, care, and help to these individuals. Worse still, is the countless hours of waiting and vigilance. Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer's Disease. Family members and caregivers suffer knowing that fact and that they are unable to stop its progression. This book provides very useful, practical helps to cope with this type of impotence as well as strategies for dealing with the other numerous aspects of this disease, such as all the financial, legal, medical, psychological and emotional matters that are sure to affect the caregivers much more than the person suffering from this disese. No one knows better than the person who has experienced the affects of Alzheimer's that it is more important to care for oneself if one is going to be an effective caregiver. This wonderful book is the perfect guide to understand how to be effective doing both.

Excellent for entire family system, especially the caregiver

The book is informative, explicit for people who know nothing about mental health and diseases of the mind. Good for the lay person, the afflicted person, all of the family. Gives insight and helps with understanding care of the patient, and the grief involved for those around the patient. Good reference--I will be using it in a church group setting also.