“Thorough and compassionate, offering accessible information and practical advice, The 36-Hour Day is a necessary resource for families living with dementia. Still the gold standard, this book is the trusted reference that families turn to first—and over and over—for guidance and support in caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease.” –Lisa Genova

This is a remarkable resource. Seriously, I'm too exhausted from my 36-hour days of sole caregiving of my mother to go into all the things this book has taught me and all the ways it's helping me and anyway, it's comprehensive. Seems like The 36-Hour Day covers every conceivable situation, sometimes skimming the surface and sometimes taking a deeper dive, and always offers information, practical advice, resources, a supportive space between the pages. If it's not in the book, information on how and where to get that information is.

It's been updated many times since Johns Hopkins first released it decades ago, and the e-book has updated twice as I've been reading it. There are recommendations of all sorts and specific info on which organizations can help with what. There are checklists of questions to ask of agencies that employ home health aides. Same for management and staff at facilities and day care programs, as well as things to look for there, look at on the sly and ask about. Ways to handle it all, broken down into bits because it can be so overwhelming. It's written with compassion and throughout an understanding of how difficult it is for the caregiver and the cared-for.

Each avenue I've pursued thanks to the book has led to others. My mother's symptoms change and so do situations, so I've reread sections of the book and gotten more from them at the right time for them. Parts that didn't register much on first reading are invaluable later. It's organized with that in mind, conveniently, with chapters that include subtopics and a thorough index.

There's guidance on ways to deal with specific behaviors and behavioral changes. There's support around how difficult it can be whether you're alone or with siblings or a partner. The book goes into how caring for one parent can create tension in a marriage or relationship and when there is disagreement among siblings among how things ought to be done.

Transitioning from home care to a facility is dealt with at length and in practical and supportive terms. There are suggestions for how to make it better for the patient, checklists of things to ask when choosing a facility -- including under what circumstances and by what method they restrain patients.

Many of these things are difficult to contemplate but far better to know as much information about everything as possible in the calm before a storm. There are legal matters and medico-legal matters to decide. So much.

The trajectory for every patient is different, the lifestyle before and after diagnosis as well and of course the situation of the caregiver(s) throughout the course of the illness. I can only say for me that it was a surprising and still sometimes is a frightening thing we're living with, a new abnormal, and there's nothing I can't find or find out about, which is a huge comfort. And there's support, so I don't need to lean on my friends continuously; many of them have done this already or are now, some of whom will, sadly, sometime do it for the love of their life.

Know what else is a comfort? There are so many people in the world who are so much worse off. When she's responding "shut up" to everything I say to or ask her, or when she's impetuously going out the door and I have to stop what I'm doing and go flying after her, that's not helpful. But times like now when she's settled down, and in the middle of the night when it's quiet as I lie awake, it's important to me to remember that and be grateful.

Where to begin? I read the 1990 version (16th printing) of this originally-printed in 1981 book to glean information in dealing with a loved one who suffers from dementia, so I knew going in that much of the information could potentially be outdated. Given how old it is, it's remarkably current in many/most ways that matter. (If the organization website URL'S and phone numbers are outdated, they're easy enough to find on the web.)

Overall, it was a most helpful read and am so grateful to have had a copy land in my hands (sadly, it belongs to the family member who is now suffering through it). The Truth is spelled out in great detail, in turns reassuring and utterly depressing, with plenty of opportunity to identify with the various examples Mace & Rabins give to illustrate their points. I was amazed at how many times I found myself thinking, "That's happened," or "That's EXACTLY how I feel," and I found that comforting.

I have a better understanding now that what I'm seeing in our patient is less "the way she's always been," and more "this is the brain damage at work," and liked that they tended to refer to dementia patients as the "confused person," throughout the book. That helped a lot to drive home the "baffled" feeling that comes along with the memory loss we tend to focus on. It's not just that they can't remember - it also makes no sense much of the time - which must be very frightening, indeed.

There are strategies, techniques and candid explanations that can help improve the quality of life for the patient and their caregiver(s) and, while this particular edition is quite old, they include a lengthy list of recommended reading for both laypersons and professionals. (I wish more doctors would read this!!)

If you're caring for a dementia patient or want to better understand the various dementias for other reasons, this is a good starting point.

I wish I didn't have to read this book. I wish no one had to read a book like this. Not because it's a bad book (because it isn't), but because this disease is so ugly! This book is highly recommended for anyone who is dealing with a family member, friend, or going through dementia themselves. In my particular case, we are dealing with Lewy Body Dementia. I'd heard many people recommend this book in different support groups I'm in. I'm glad to have had the opportunity to have read this but it hurt. This book will tell you how it is dealing with someone with dementia. There is no sugar coating situations. It's raw and at times, incredibly hard to read.

The author of this book made certain to cover just about every topic a family member could have when dealing with dementia. Basic symptoms are discussed, medications that are commonly prescribed along with their side effects, behaviors to look out for, modifications that may need to be made to a home or a person's life. Also, how to deal with caregiver strain (yes, it's a real serious thing), how to talk to children who may be affected, how to find a home, if needed, for the person with dementia, resources available, and so much more. As a former member of the healthcare community, I thought this book wouldn't really teach me many different things, but it did.

I highly recommend this book for anyone and everyone dealing with dementia. This book is written so that you only have to read the parts you want to, but I highly recommended reading it all. There is a lot to be learned from the information shared in this book. Finally, I would also recommend that if you are a caregiver, that you take to heart the tips given in this book. Dealing with situations like dementia can cause a lot of strife in your personal life, it can destroy family relationships, and have children feeling left out. Please seek out help from professionals if needed as well. This is tough and know that I'm praying for all of you dealing with this.