First published 2012
Martha Stettinius faces the overwhelming reality of Alzheimer's disease when her mother begins showing signs of dementia. As a daughter and trained reporter, she documents seven years of caregiving across multiple settings: their family home, assisted living facilities, rehabilitation centers, memory care units, and nursing homes. Stettinius navigates a broken healthcare system while learning to connect with her mother in new ways. She transforms a difficult relationship into something deeper through the challenges of caregiving. The book combines personal story with medical research, exploring causes of Alzheimer's, current treatments, and prevention strategies. Stettinius offers practical guidance for the 15 million Americans providing unpaid care to family members with dementia. She argues that better diagnosis, increased research funding, and improved caregiver support can change how families experience this disease. Her account demonstrates that caregiving can strengthen bonds even as dementia progresses.
Genres: medical, non-fiction, biography-memoir, health
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-drama, personal-growth
353 pages · Paperback · Dundee-Lakemont Press
Content warnings: mental-illness