There is a person inside Alzheimer's and any of the other dementias—a person, just like the rest of us. The person, no matter how progressed the dementia, maintains the ability to feel the joy and satisfaction that comes from being in the rhythm of human connection with others. The disease does, however, diminish that person’s ability to reach out in familiar ways which poses challenges for those of us who want to stay connected.

For over 25 years, I interacted with persons who have dementia and paid attention—looking hard at each interaction for the ways in which she (or he) had been affected by me, by others, and by the world even as she progressed through the disease. Each person guided me during all of the connections and disconnections toward understanding that connection is not so much about knowing what to do or say as it is about learning the ways in which we can “be with” the person in her world so that we can allow her strengths to emerge.  Being in the moment and engaging the person with dementia in her world offers constant surprises and gifts of wisdom, insight and compassion—each of us moves beyond isolation and hopelessness; each of us empowered to move forward, to grow.

Inside Alzheimer’s was written to help caring persons—care professionals, family members, friends and others—develop tools for getting beyond difficult interactions with the person who has dementia and to open to the possibilities within each moment.  With its unique use of story telling, humor and a variety of exercises, this resource encourages our understanding how to get ourselves out of the way and teaches us how to more freely enter the person’s world with an attentive, nonjudgmental, respectful openness.  Internalizing its basic principles has helped thousands to create extraordinary and compassionate moments of connections with persons, regardless of how advanced the dementia.

In the consideration of a third printing, I decided to create a revised edition to address the dramatic need to simultaneously provide a compassionate community of care for the one person who does not have any time or energy left to even pick up a book—the frequently isolated and overwhelmed 24/7 caregiver.  This revised edition includes a foreword written by renowned physician Dr. Allen Power (author of Dementia Beyond Drugs) as well as expanded resources and exercises that will enhance reader understanding and energize the spirit.  Equally exciting are the two 7-page, ready-reference inserts that give information collected from my interviews with hundreds of once-overwhelmed 24/7 care persons:  one written directly to the deeply overwhelmed (or soon-to-be) care person and the second written to those of us in the community of that overwhelmed care person and are not quite sure how to help. Their concrete, supportive messages help guide each of us toward opening to and co-creating a more supportive community of care for everyone. 

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