Comments for TRbluepages Blog http://trbluepages.com/recreationtherapyblog Therapeutic Recreation Blog Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:17:14 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 Comment on The Role of Companion Animals in Counseling and Psychology: Discovering Their Use in the Therapeutic Process by Midwest Book Review http://trbluepages.com/recreationtherapyblog/2010/03/09/the-role-of-companion-animals-in-counseling-and-psychology-discovering-their-use-in-the-therapeutic-process/comment-page-1/#comment-1840 Midwest Book Review Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:17:14 +0000 http://trbluepages.com/recreationtherapyblog/2010/03/09/the-role-of-companion-animals-in-counseling-and-psychology-discovering-their-use-in-the-therapeutic-process/#comment-1840 The Role of Companion Animals in Counseling and Psychology: Discovering Their Use in the Therapeutic Process provides therapists and students alike with a key to understanding how companion animals can make a difference. Chapters describe human-animal bonds in assisted therapies and quote many research studies in the process of exploring the potentials of this bond. Any college-level psychology collection needs this. Rating: 5 / 5 The Role of Companion Animals in Counseling and Psychology: Discovering Their Use in the Therapeutic Process provides therapists and students alike with a key to understanding how companion animals can make a difference. Chapters describe human-animal bonds in assisted therapies and quote many research studies in the process of exploring the potentials of this bond. Any college-level psychology collection needs this.
Rating: 5 / 5

]]> Comment on Alzheimer’s Disease: A Guide for Families and Caregivers by Udall http://trbluepages.com/recreationtherapyblog/2010/03/09/alzheimers-disease-a-guide-for-families-and-caregivers/comment-page-1/#comment-1839 Udall Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:09:51 +0000 http://trbluepages.com/recreationtherapyblog/2010/03/09/alzheimers-disease-a-guide-for-families-and-caregivers/#comment-1839 I found this book to be very helpful and I bought it for everyone in my family. It has great information regarding patient behavior, caregiver experiences, suggestions for caregivers, and prevention of this disease. I would have given it 5 stars except for the information regarding being sexually loyal as a spouse of an Alzheimer's patient, and the chapter about assisted suicide. I believe adultery and suicide are morally wrong, and just because a person loses their ability to remember or know things doesn't make it right to engage in the above practices. They are still worth being loyal to and worth receiving loving care until they pass on. I believe to do less than that would bring remorse in the future and it would dishonor the loved one suffering from this disease. Rating: 4 / 5 I found this book to be very helpful and I bought it for everyone in my family. It has great information regarding patient behavior, caregiver experiences, suggestions for caregivers, and prevention of this disease. I would have given it 5 stars except for the information regarding being sexually loyal as a spouse of an Alzheimer’s patient, and the chapter about assisted suicide. I believe adultery and suicide are morally wrong, and just because a person loses their ability to remember or know things doesn’t make it right to engage in the above practices. They are still worth being loyal to and worth receiving loving care until they pass on. I believe to do less than that would bring remorse in the future and it would dishonor the loved one suffering from this disease.
Rating: 4 / 5

]]> Comment on Systemic Treatment Of Incest: A Therapeutic Handbook by Deanna Re http://trbluepages.com/recreationtherapyblog/2010/03/08/systemic-treatment-of-incest-a-therapeutic-handbook/comment-page-1/#comment-1834 Deanna Re Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:51:48 +0000 http://trbluepages.com/recreationtherapyblog/2010/03/08/systemic-treatment-of-incest-a-therapeutic-handbook/#comment-1834 Cogent, well-organized, step-by-step model of treatment that can be adapted to use with other forms of abuse. Rating: 5 / 5 Cogent, well-organized, step-by-step model of treatment that can be adapted to use with other forms of abuse.
Rating: 5 / 5

]]> Comment on Hard to Forget: An Alzheimer’s Story by Anonymous http://trbluepages.com/recreationtherapyblog/2010/03/08/hard-to-forget-an-alzheimers-story/comment-page-1/#comment-1827 Anonymous Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:19:18 +0000 http://trbluepages.com/recreationtherapyblog/2010/03/08/hard-to-forget-an-alzheimers-story/#comment-1827 Fortunately, my family has no history of Alzheimer's disease. My only experience with the disease came from my next door neighbor. An elderly couple moved into the house next store to my family home when I was only 3 years old. The couple became my third set of grandparents. The husband, Howard, died about three years later. His wife began to suffer from Alzheimer's shortly after his death. I remember being very confused when she asked me to fetch her sweater that was upstairs on the sewing machine, when she lived in a one story home. My mother tried to explain her condition to me, but I did not understand how she could not know there was not a second floor in the house she had been in for about 5 years. Her family decided to put her into a nursing home because of an injury she sustained in a fall. She died before the Alzheimer's got worse. Since I never had to deal with anyone suffering from Alzheimer's after my neighbor died, I never learned about the disease. I picked up "Hard To Forget: An Alzheimer's Story" to learn about the disease, and what happened to my third grandmother. I found the book very informative and interesting to read. Pierce wonderfully blends together the history of the disorder and his own family's experiences. I managed to finish the book in one sitting because of Pierce's captivating style. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about Alzheimer's disease, or anyone who is looking for an enjoyable and informative read. Rating: 5 / 5 Fortunately, my family has no history of Alzheimer’s disease. My only experience with the disease came from my next door neighbor. An elderly couple moved into the house next store to my family home when I was only 3 years old. The couple became my third set of grandparents. The husband, Howard, died about three years later. His wife began to suffer from Alzheimer’s shortly after his death. I remember being very confused when she asked me to fetch her sweater that was upstairs on the sewing machine, when she lived in a one story home. My mother tried to explain her condition to me, but I did not understand how she could not know there was not a second floor in the house she had been in for about 5 years. Her family decided to put her into a nursing home because of an injury she sustained in a fall. She died before the Alzheimer’s got worse. Since I never had to deal with anyone suffering from Alzheimer’s after my neighbor died, I never learned about the disease. I picked up “Hard To Forget: An Alzheimer’s Story” to learn about the disease, and what happened to my third grandmother. I found the book very informative and interesting to read. Pierce wonderfully blends together the history of the disorder and his own family’s experiences. I managed to finish the book in one sitting because of Pierce’s captivating style. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease, or anyone who is looking for an enjoyable and informative read.
Rating: 5 / 5

]]> Comment on Hard to Forget: An Alzheimer’s Story by Nancy Mills http://trbluepages.com/recreationtherapyblog/2010/03/08/hard-to-forget-an-alzheimers-story/comment-page-1/#comment-1826 Nancy Mills Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:05:49 +0000 http://trbluepages.com/recreationtherapyblog/2010/03/08/hard-to-forget-an-alzheimers-story/#comment-1826 As an Alzheimer's family member, I read "Hard to Forget" with great interest. When my mother was diagnosed 13 years ago, my family went through stages of initial denial and then finally accepting the diagnosis and then coping as best we could...a similar story to the Pierce family - and to so many other families. The difference is that my mother was not an "early onset" patient. Hers is probably not the "familial" Alzheimer's Disease. And the terror is not as great for my sister and I as it is for Charles Pierce. But it is still there. <p>The author has a wonderful way of describing the emotional toll of the disease but also of shining a light on the heroism of caretakers like his wife Margaret. I've seen the devotion of wives, husbands, children and grandchildren as they pay weekly and sometimes daily visits to their loved ones in the nursing home. The visits go on for years. They watch as their loved one slips away. But it helps to know that you are not alone in this difficult journey. "Hard to Forget" will help all the families who are coping and who are waiting for a cure. Rating: 5 / 5 As an Alzheimer’s family member, I read “Hard to Forget” with great interest. When my mother was diagnosed 13 years ago, my family went through stages of initial denial and then finally accepting the diagnosis and then coping as best we could…a similar story to the Pierce family – and to so many other families. The difference is that my mother was not an “early onset” patient. Hers is probably not the “familial” Alzheimer’s Disease. And the terror is not as great for my sister and I as it is for Charles Pierce. But it is still there.

The author has a wonderful way of describing the emotional toll of the disease but also of shining a light on the heroism of caretakers like his wife Margaret. I’ve seen the devotion of wives, husbands, children and grandchildren as they pay weekly and sometimes daily visits to their loved ones in the nursing home. The visits go on for years. They watch as their loved one slips away. But it helps to know that you are not alone in this difficult journey. “Hard to Forget” will help all the families who are coping and who are waiting for a cure.
Rating: 5 / 5

]]> Comment on Hard to Forget: An Alzheimer’s Story by Anonymous http://trbluepages.com/recreationtherapyblog/2010/03/08/hard-to-forget-an-alzheimers-story/comment-page-1/#comment-1825 Anonymous Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:46:18 +0000 http://trbluepages.com/recreationtherapyblog/2010/03/08/hard-to-forget-an-alzheimers-story/#comment-1825 I just finished Charles Pierce's book and must say that I was very moved by it. In reading your reviews I was struck by the comments by the research scientist who pointed out all the errors in Mr. Pierce's telling. Perfect illustration of his point, I think. We readers aren't quite as concerned with the exact dates as we are with the the evolution of the research as a whole. Can't you all just get along? Rating: 4 / 5 I just finished Charles Pierce’s book and must say that I was very moved by it. In reading your reviews I was struck by the comments by the research scientist who pointed out all the errors in Mr. Pierce’s telling. Perfect illustration of his point, I think. We readers aren’t quite as concerned with the exact dates as we are with the the evolution of the research as a whole. Can’t you all just get along?
Rating: 4 / 5

]]> Comment on Hard to Forget: An Alzheimer’s Story by John Thorndike http://trbluepages.com/recreationtherapyblog/2010/03/08/hard-to-forget-an-alzheimers-story/comment-page-1/#comment-1824 John Thorndike Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:04:34 +0000 http://trbluepages.com/recreationtherapyblog/2010/03/08/hard-to-forget-an-alzheimers-story/#comment-1824 Pierce's instinct is to tell a story. He sets a scene, he gives us characters and conflict and dialogue, and makes reading about dementia an adventure. He begins one story, "The man made it all the way across the country, and nobody asked him why he was still in his pajamas." He opens the story of Frau Auguste D, the famous patient of Alois Alzheimer, by writing, "Something had to be done with the woman. She was screaming in the streets." Immediately, although I already know about Frau Auguste D., I want to hear her story again, and in detail. <br /> <br />From the early pages of the book--where we learn that the author's father was born in 1915, the same year Alois Alzheimer died--it's clear that the Pierce will interweave his own story with a history of the disease and the scientists struggling to understand and treat it. The science is presented dramatically--and underlying these sections, adding to their power, we are told the story of the author's father and his siblings. Pierce writes of his grandmother: "Mary Ellen Pierce had had five children, and all five of them would develop Alzheimer's disease. All four of her sons would disappear and then die. One of them was my father. He died without remembering her. He died without remembering me." <br /> <br />The topic of dementia is vast, and hits home for me personally. I've read a great many books about Alzheimer's ( thirty, at least), and Hard to Forget, because of its lucid prose and well-told stories, is one I read with enormous interest. There's plenty of information here about the disease, all readable and engaging--and the book is lit up by a closely-considered danger: the possibility that the author himself could come down with what has become a family disease. And the author has children. It's a good thing those scientists are hard at work. Rating: 5 / 5 Pierce’s instinct is to tell a story. He sets a scene, he gives us characters and conflict and dialogue, and makes reading about dementia an adventure. He begins one story, “The man made it all the way across the country, and nobody asked him why he was still in his pajamas.” He opens the story of Frau Auguste D, the famous patient of Alois Alzheimer, by writing, “Something had to be done with the woman. She was screaming in the streets.” Immediately, although I already know about Frau Auguste D., I want to hear her story again, and in detail.

From the early pages of the book–where we learn that the author’s father was born in 1915, the same year Alois Alzheimer died–it’s clear that the Pierce will interweave his own story with a history of the disease and the scientists struggling to understand and treat it. The science is presented dramatically–and underlying these sections, adding to their power, we are told the story of the author’s father and his siblings. Pierce writes of his grandmother: “Mary Ellen Pierce had had five children, and all five of them would develop Alzheimer’s disease. All four of her sons would disappear and then die. One of them was my father. He died without remembering her. He died without remembering me.”

The topic of dementia is vast, and hits home for me personally. I’ve read a great many books about Alzheimer’s ( thirty, at least), and Hard to Forget, because of its lucid prose and well-told stories, is one I read with enormous interest. There’s plenty of information here about the disease, all readable and engaging–and the book is lit up by a closely-considered danger: the possibility that the author himself could come down with what has become a family disease. And the author has children. It’s a good thing those scientists are hard at work.
Rating: 5 / 5

]]> Comment on Hard to Forget: An Alzheimer’s Story by Arthur Leonard http://trbluepages.com/recreationtherapyblog/2010/03/08/hard-to-forget-an-alzheimers-story/comment-page-1/#comment-1823 Arthur Leonard Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:41:52 +0000 http://trbluepages.com/recreationtherapyblog/2010/03/08/hard-to-forget-an-alzheimers-story/#comment-1823 I decided to read this book based on a review in The New York Times book review, and the recent knowledge that a family member's symptoms have been tentatively diagnosed as possibly early signs of Alzheimer's. I found the story gripping, but the execution sometimes got in the way for me. I suspect that a more interventionist editor might have forced Pierce to drop some of the unnecessarily detailed place descriptions and reorganized the order of presentation to be more coherent. As it is, however, the book provides lots of interesting and useful information, mixing the history of research on the disease with the personal memoir of Pierce and his family coping with the disease as manifested in his father, uncles and aunt. It is not an easy read, but it is worth the effort. Rating: 4 / 5 I decided to read this book based on a review in The New York Times book review, and the recent knowledge that a family member’s symptoms have been tentatively diagnosed as possibly early signs of Alzheimer’s. I found the story gripping, but the execution sometimes got in the way for me. I suspect that a more interventionist editor might have forced Pierce to drop some of the unnecessarily detailed place descriptions and reorganized the order of presentation to be more coherent. As it is, however, the book provides lots of interesting and useful information, mixing the history of research on the disease with the personal memoir of Pierce and his family coping with the disease as manifested in his father, uncles and aunt. It is not an easy read, but it is worth the effort.
Rating: 4 / 5

]]> Comment on The Complete Eldercare Planner, Second Edition: Where to Start, Which Questions to Ask, and How to Find Help by Book Reviewer http://trbluepages.com/recreationtherapyblog/2010/03/07/the-complete-eldercare-planner-second-edition-where-to-start-which-questions-to-ask-and-how-to-find-help/comment-page-1/#comment-1818 Book Reviewer Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:55:15 +0000 http://trbluepages.com/recreationtherapyblog/2010/03/07/the-complete-eldercare-planner-second-edition-where-to-start-which-questions-to-ask-and-how-to-find-help/#comment-1818 Immensely practical guide on common issues, with checklists and action planning guides... a Third Age Book Review - www.thirdage.com Rating: 5 / 5 Immensely practical guide on common issues, with checklists and action planning guides… a Third Age Book Review – http://www.thirdage.com
Rating: 5 / 5

]]> Comment on The Complete Eldercare Planner, Second Edition: Where to Start, Which Questions to Ask, and How to Find Help by Joy Loverde http://trbluepages.com/recreationtherapyblog/2010/03/07/the-complete-eldercare-planner-second-edition-where-to-start-which-questions-to-ask-and-how-to-find-help/comment-page-1/#comment-1817 Joy Loverde Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:18:05 +0000 http://trbluepages.com/recreationtherapyblog/2010/03/07/the-complete-eldercare-planner-second-edition-where-to-start-which-questions-to-ask-and-how-to-find-help/#comment-1817 If you like The Complete Eldercare Planner, you'll love the revised and expanded 2009 edition of the book. To be released, April 2009. You can order copies of the book today. <br /> <br />New lost-cost and free resources, more chapters including in-home caregiving technolody, finding local low cost in-home assistance, caregiving from a distance, the mature driver assistance, and so much more. <br /> <br />Type "The Complete Eldercare Planner, Joy Loverde" in the Amazon search box. Rating: 5 / 5 If you like The Complete Eldercare Planner, you’ll love the revised and expanded 2009 edition of the book. To be released, April 2009. You can order copies of the book today.

New lost-cost and free resources, more chapters including in-home caregiving technolody, finding local low cost in-home assistance, caregiving from a distance, the mature driver assistance, and so much more.

Type “The Complete Eldercare Planner, Joy Loverde” in the Amazon search box.
Rating: 5 / 5

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