MONONA, Wis., Oct. 21, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- One of the greatest fears of aging Americans is dementia. Not only as a personal issue, but as a potential family burden, for good cause. More than 28 million Americans provide care to family members or friends with some form of dementia. The economic value of the services family caregivers provide for "free" is estimated to be $306 billion a year(1). That is almost twice as much as is actually spent on homecare and nursing home services combined ($158 billion)(2).
With everything that has been written about people with dementia or other types of brain disorders, many questions about why these people act the way they do remain unanswered. Delaune Pollard, an Accredited Occupational Therapist, Allen Expert Cognitive Advisor, speaker and author of five books on assessing people with deficits in functional cognition (brain's ability to do daily tasks) has now written Caregivers: Drowning in a Sea of Cognitive Challenges, which answers these and many other questions informal caregivers have. Delaune's emphasis on validating the fragile sense of self, understanding behavioral reactions and her in-depth knowledge of dementia and other dysfunctions of the brain which cause a deficit in functional cognition offers a whole new perspective to the informal family caregiver as well as the professional.
Widely known speaker Pat Jakubiec OTR, Occupational Therapist, Clinical Specialist and Consultant, stated, "Delaune's latest work, Caregivers: Drowning in a Sea of Cognitive Challenges, provides an indispensable resource for caregivers and professionals. The way she includes theoretical information grounded in real life professional situations has a huge impact on developing understanding and empathy for the individual and the caregiver."
This book provides the reader with an in-depth, detailed and easy to read approach to caregiving, which explains why people behave in the way they do, why they can't do daily activities and includes stories taken from real life situations.
If you would like more information about Caregivers: Drowning in a Sea of Cognitive Challenges, or to arrange an interview with the author, Delaune Pollard, please call Steve Brooks at 1-800-736-6096 or e-mail Steve at stephenb@tds.net.
1-800-736-6096 Publisher - Cantankerous Cow Books, LLC ISBN 978-0-9805575-0-3 (pbk) Launch Date: November 13, 2008, East Lansing Marriott, Lansing, MI
1. Source: National Family Caregivers Association & Family Caregiver Alliance (2006). Prevalence, Hours and Economic Value of Family Caregiving, Updated State-by-State Analysis of 2004 National Estimates by Peter S. Arno, PhD. Kensington, MD: NFCA & San Francisco, CA: FCA.
2. Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Informal Caregiving: Compassion in Action, Washington, DC: 1998, and National Family Caregivers Association, Random Sample Survey of Family Caregivers, Summer 2000, Unpublished