What are You Doing Here: Reflections on Dementia

(Paperback)

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Description

'What Are You Doing Here' is about dementia. The core of the book charts the journey of the author's mother from mild confusion to severe dementia, from being cared for at home to her final years in a rest home. More than a memoir, this unsentimental but compassionate account draws on interviews with other family caregivers and challenges some of the popular myths about dementia. This book asks the questions you may have about dementia: Does it lead to 'loss of the self' What does it mean when your mother doesn't know you How do you communicate with someone who has lost control of words What's it really like in a dementia care rest home Can you prevent dementia Is there any hope on the horizon

Author Bio

Janet Wainscott grew up in mid-Canterbury and then lived and worked in Wellington for many years. She returned to Christchurch when her mother was in the middle stages of dementia and still being cared for at home by her father. Janet's involvement in her mother's care increased as her mother's dementia progressed. Janet lives near Christchurch with her husband.