Before Dementia

About preventing, preparing, coping

How do I know if I have dementia, and how will I live with it if I do? Can people with dementia consent to sex? Can they choose euthanasia for their future selves? And can we prevent or push back its onset?

Chances are you know someone with dementia, but how well do you really understand the condition? Dementia is a complex interplay of biological, social and psychological factors, and understanding it means understanding more about society and ourselves.

Approaching the topic through 20 insightful questions, Dr Kate Gregorevic explains the physical state of dementia, how to relate the diagnosis to real life, what questions to ask your doctor, what might be done to prevent the condition, and how we can make our homes and society better for people with dementia.

While this book tackles some uncomfortable questions, its purpose is to help - to prevent, to prepare, to cope and to understand - and provide you with strategies for moving forward.

Auteur

Dr Kate Gregorevic is a geriatrician working at a hospital in Melbourne, and the author of Staying Alive: The Science of Living Happier, Healthier and Longer. She has clinical experience looking after people in all stages of dementia, and is endlessly fascinated by the ways that physical health intersects with social and emotional heath. Kate has also completed a PhD identifying individual and community resources that are linked to improved health. She lives with her husband and three children in Melbourne.