Care That Works: A Relationship Approach to Persons with Dementia

Health Progress, Sep/Oct 1999

Care That Works: A Relationship Approach to Persons with Dementia

Jitka M. Zgola, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1999, 256 pp., $18.95 (paperback)

The author explains that optimal dementia care involves three elements: a good relationship between the caregiver and the person who has dementia, a safe and nurturing environment, and meaningful activities. She then describes how caregivers can better meet the demanding challenges of their job by building and improving their personal relationships with those in their care. The book gives caregivers information with which they can develop their own approaches, evaluate their effectiveness, and continue to grow in skill and insight. The book also discusses communicating with people who have language deficits and coping with behavior problems.