Dementia is a little understood and currently incurable illness, but much can be done to maximise the quality of life for people with the condition. Contented Dementia - by clinical psychologist and bestselling author Oliver James - outlines a groundbreaking and practical method for managing dementia that will allow both sufferer and carer to maintain the highest possible quality of life, throughout every stage of the illness.
A person with dementia will experience random and increasingly frequent memory blanks relating to recent events. Feelings, however, remain intact, as do memories of past events and both can be used in a special way to substitute for more recent information that has been lost. The SPECAL method (Specialized Early Care for Alzheimer's) outlined in this book works by creating links between past memories and the routine activities of daily life in the present.
Drawing on real-life examples and user-friendly tried-and-tested methods, Contented Dementia provides essential information and guidance for carers, relatives and professionals.
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an indispensable handbook for anyone coping with the effects of dementia and who wants to keep a sufferer as happy as is humanly possible - Daily Express
a revolutionary new way of treating dementia brings amazing benefits for patients and carers alike - Guardian
I found myself weeping ... An important book - YOU magazine
Explains a revolutionary way to care for dementia patients ... tender techniques that can ease absent minds - Telegraph
I bought it and can confirm that anyone who wants help in caring for the condition will find this excellent work a revelation - Mail on Sunday
remarkably simple ... The resulting well-being can last a lifetime - Yours magazine
shows that dementia need not be a nightmare of frustration and embarrassment ... James shows that it is possible to unlock isolation and distress - Church Times
Oliver James has made a great job of setting out the SPECAL theory and method in this book which I strongly recommend to all care home managers and staff teams - Caring Times
Shows how to minimize that distress and manage the dementia in ways that recall early pioneering work on dealing with madness . . . He writes clearly and plainly, gives good examples of the techniques he suggests, and stays always on the practical side. I expected this book to be depressing; it is exactly the opposite. - The Independent
Oliver James trained and practised as a clinical child psychologist and, since 1988, has worked as a writer, journalist, broadcaster and television documentary producer and presenter. He is a trustee of the Alzheimer's charity, SPECAL and lives in Oxfordshire with his wife and two small children.
