Book reviews

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• Marianne LaPorte Matzo, PhD, APRN, BC, GNP, FAAN, Book Review Editor

Joanne Ardolf Decker

1997, Johns Hopkins University Press, 192 pages, paperback, $14.95.

Alzheimer's: The Answers You Need

Helen D. Davies, Michael P. Jensen

1998, Elder Books, Forest Knolls, 138 pages, paperback, $10.95.

Candle and Darkness: Current Research in Alzheimer's Disease

Joseph Rogers

1998, Bonus Books, 166 pages, paperback, $13.95.

Caregiver's Reprieve: A Guide to Emotional Survival When You're Caring for Someone You Love

Avrene L. Brandt

1997, Impact, 106 pages, paperback, $11.95.

Be Prepared: The Complete Financial, Legal, and Practical Guide for Living with a Life-Challenging Condition

David S. Landay

1998, St. Martin's, 447 pages, hardcover, $29.95.

Gerontological nurses work not only with patients but frequently also with the caregivers of these patients. The mental and physical heath care needs of many of these geriatric patients are dependent on the care provided by nonprofessional caregivers. There are an estimated 7 million unpaid nonprofessional caregivers in the United States. Gerontological nurses must have knowledge of the role of the caregiver to provide better care for the older person with chronic disease or illness. Providing the caregiver with support and ways to survive the work of caregiving are important roles for the geriatric nurse. One way for the geriatric nurse to learn about caregiving is by reading books about caregiving.

This month's reviewed books are written for caregivers and cover a variety of key aspects of caregiving as well as providing specific support for the caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease. Geriatric nurses need to be familiar with these types of books and the information contained in them; they may want to recommend some of these books to caregivers or use them as teaching guides when working with caregivers of all kinds—family, friends, and volunteers. Geriatric nurses may also want to recommend these books to local public or medical libraries.

A certified therapeutic recreation specialist wrote Making the Moments Count: Leisure Activities for Caregiving Relationships. Leisure is frequently thought of as something you do if you have completed all your tasks and then have some left-over time. Joanne Ardolf Decker debunks this theory of leisure. She describes to the reader how to bring leisure into all activities using small true-to-life scenarios. She provides strategies that can bring the caregiver and patient closer together. An extensive checklist of leisure favorites when completed will provide the caregiver with ideas of what leisure activities are enjoyed and can still be done by the patient. Activities for ambulatory, limited mobility, and bed-bound patients are described. Chapters are divided into areas of activity called THE P.I.E.S.S. system:

hysical activity: using simple natural body movements with daily activities, rather than a strenuous exercise program. Examples: have the bed-bound patient squeeze stuffed animals; have the ambulatory patient help set the table.

ntellectual activity: keeping the mind active through recall, reminiscence, decision making, following directions, and stimulation of senses. Example: use maps to reminisce about previous vacations and trips.

motional and xpressive activity: expression of moods through humor, self-esteem building, creativity and self-expression. Example: caring for a pet, collecting comics, keeping a journal, engaging in hobbies.

ocial activity: connections with other people and with plants, pets, and the community. Example: celebrate holidays, plan trips, and maintain association with clubs.

piritual activity: being in touch with one's Higher Power, life and death, motivation, and inspiration. Example: attend church, watch or listen to religious TV shows or radio programs, prayer.

This author does not forget the leisure needs of the caregiver and stresses the importance of caregivers taking time for leisure activities of their own to stay refreshed to continue to provide care. Eighty-eight fun, free things to do are provided for the caregiver. Some of these activities include learning to play the harmonica, making cookies, telling jokes, praying, and throwing away clutter. A list of resources for special needs is found at the back of the book. This is an easy book to read. It is full of wonderful ideas and can be useful for the geriatric nurse and caregiver. Keep this book handy and share its information with caregivers.

Alzheimer's: The Answers You Need is written by a caregiver of an Alzheimer's patient and by the co-director of the Stanford/Veterans Administration Alzheimer's Center. This is a short and quick-read book. It is written in question-and-answer format with each question listed at the top of a page. It is directed at the person with early-stage Alzheimer's and their caregivers. There are questions about sex, driving, stigma, durable power of attorney, finances, work, changes within the family and marriage, treatments, vitamins, and other issues. This book can be read from cover to cover or just skimmed, reading only selected parts. Helen D. Davies and Michael P. Jensen provide caregivers with a quick and easy-to-read book on a difficult topic. Geriatric nurses may find this book useful and share it with patients with early-stage Alzheimer's and their caregivers.

Candle and Darkness: Current Research in Alzheimer's Disease is written by a scientist devoted to studies of aging and Alzheimer's disease. It is a short and quick-read book. Joseph Rogers describes what Alzheimer's is, what treatments are available, and what research is being done. It gives hope that research will find a cure for this disease one day. He discusses who is at risk for Alzheimer's and what happens to the person and the brain of someone with this disease. Technical chapters on apolipoprotein E, amyloid B peptide, and neurofibrillary tangles may be of interest to some caregivers but may be too advanced for others. In the back of the book, the reader is provided with a list of additional reading material, both technical and nontechnical in nature. The author also lists the names and places of locations of current Alzheimer's research. This book helps make a difficult disease understandable for geriatric nurses and caregivers of Alzheimer's disease.

Caregiver's Reprieve: A Guide to Emotional Survival When You're Caring for Someone You Love is written by a clinical psychologist. In addition, this short, quick-read book provides information about the stressors and emotional aspects of caregiving. Avrene L. Brandt uses stories to demonstrate the role of the caregiver. Caregivers reading this may identify with some of the stories. Caregivers are told that their feelings are normal. She describes the psychological defenses that caregivers use to survive: denial, isolation, rationalization, and displacement. This book looks at caregivers who are family members—parents, spouses, and children—and looks at how family relationships are changed when one takes on the role of caregiver. Examples of emotional aspects of caregiving: fear, denial, anxiety, frustration, resentment, anger, guilt, isolation, depression, and grief are identified. Developing coping tools such as physical exercise, relaxation techniques, time away, humor, and support systems are addressed. A list of personal and social support resources is provided for the caregiver. Caregivers are given guidelines for coping with emotions in a simple format. Gerontological nurses should read this book because it gives insight into the life of a caregiver; caregivers of all types can benefit from reading this book.

Be Prepared: The Complete Financial, Legal, and Practical Guide for Living with a Life-Challenging Condition is written by a practicing attorney who heads an information resource firm dedicated to advising people with life-challenging conditions. This is a large book and not necessarily meant to be read from cover to cover. David S. Landay has given caregivers an excellent reference book. It contains 38 chapters in 8 parts dealing with what the title indicates. The detailed table of contents and index make it easy for the reader to find a subject of interest. There are introductions to all chapters and simple, practical tips are provided in each chapter.

Part 1 consists of on chapter, an overview of the entire book, and the reader is encouraged to read this chapter to better understand the volume's contents. Part 2 reviews the building blocks for successful living. Attitudes, coping, relaxation, employment benefits, social security, credit status, health, financial information, employment, and net worth are some of the topics discussed. Part 3 reviews topics about income, including disability, hiring, rehiring, confidentiality, advancement, leave of absence, health insurance protection, making your job work better for you, the ideal job, job interviews, disability income, worker's compensation, unemployment insurance, retirement planning, and investments.

Part 4 contains information about protection against increased expenses. Included are discussions on health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, government programs, property and casualty insurance, financial management and taxes. Part 5 details new uses of assets. Subject matter includes life insurance as a liquid asset, conversion of retirement assets to income, and rethinking credit, real property, and other assets. Part 6 deals with health matters such as finding a doctor, drugs and treatments, nutrition and exercise, home, assisted living, nursing homes, hospitals, hospice, and bodily changes. Part 7 describes estate planning, advanced directives, health care power of attorney, wills, taxes, and funeral arrangements. Part 8 talks about the importance of support groups, describes who is on a support team, and addresses travel and a few other topics such as student loans, pets, and disabled parking.

This book is an excellent resource for anyone who is or may become a caregiver for a person with a chronic disease or illness. It should be required reading for all gerontological nurses.