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The 36-Hour Day
By Nancy L. Mace & Peter V. Rabins, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 339 pages, $13.95.
The 36-Hour Day, by Nancy Mace and Peter Rabins, is a guide for people who are caring for patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, dementia, and the memory loss. The book addresses various topics and issues that families of Alzheimer’s and dementia patients typically face. This book is written in a clear and concise manner, making it an easy read. It flows easily due numerous personal accounts to illustrate points and a general absence of medical terminology and professional jargon. This book may be suitable for people caring for family members who are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and related dementing illnesses in later life.
This book is written in the form of a textbook, or guide. It is broken into chapters, each describing a different aspect of the illness and how to best prepare for each stage. The book offers descriptions of the illness and makes a point of using personal accounts to more easily illustrate such points. It provides a personal touch that may be easier for families to identify with. Topics include characteristic problems of dementia, problems arising in daily care, behavior difficulties, how to obtain outside help and how to know when it is needed, and how to care for yourself when you are caring for a dementia patient.
The 36-Hour Day is appropriate for adults who are caring for an Alzheimer’s or dementia patient. It can be effectively utilized in psychotherapy through bibilotherapy. Psychologists may want to prescribe this book to people who have recently learned that their loved one has been diagnosed with these illnesses. This book may help people to deal with the difficult times of caring for someone suffering from severe memory loss. It may give people a practical guide to use when asking questions regarding what normal behavior of an Alzheimer’s patient looks like and when to begin discussing the patient’s wishes for the end of their life. The chapter that attempts to answer the question of how to care for yourself while caring for a dementia patient may be of particular use. This chapter helps the reader to identify signs of caregiver stress and emotional reactions that may be experienced. The reader may take comfort in reading that the emotions and experiences they have everyday are normal. Since it is often difficult for many caregivers to get out of the house, this book may be beneficial in bibliotherapy. This book may help the reader to feel support and understanding through the stories and accounts of others who have been through similar experiences.
This book has several strengths that make it an ideal choice for bibliotherapy. It is written in the form of a textbook, making it easy for readers to identify specific areas where they would like to get more information and possible answers. Psychologists may wish to prescribe only a specific chapter in psychotherapy due to the presenting problems and difficulties the client is experiencing. The author avoids the use of difficult medical terminology, which makes a medical illness easily understood by the general public. The book appears honest, often with details of possible scenarios the family will have to face such as violence and eventual death. The personal accounts also help to give the reader an idea of exactly how certain symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease may play out in real life situations. The personal accounts may also mirror the thoughts and emotions the reader is currently experiencing, helping the reader to feel that what they are feeling is not unique and there are others who have felt they way they do. It is an honest and truthful approach to a serious illness that may affect not only older adults, but their families as well.
This book also has some weakness that psychologists who wish to use it in bibliotherapy must be aware. The book itself is long, which may give a daunting first impression to the prospective reader. It is also geared toward the caregivers, which makes it inappropriate to use with people who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia themselves. This book is not intended for use with children. The book’s honest description of progressive illness may be upsetting for children. There are detailed descriptions of stages the patient goes through and their loss of memory and functioning. It may be too straightforward and too graphic for a child to read.
The 36-Hour Day, as used in bibliotherapy, may be beneficial to clients who are dealing with the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Its easy to understand language makes it an appropriate choice for many individuals. The format makes it accessible, as many who choose to use it will only wish to use specific chapters. The book gives research statistics while providing a personal touch. It gives the reader an accurate account of possible problems that may arise in their future while caring for their loved one. It is a practical guide that answers many questions regarding the care of the patient as well as their own care. It may help people to understand that their feelings are not unique and they are not alone.