Forget Memory: Creating Better Lives for People with Dementia
The further I read the more impressed I became with Ann Basting's book.(Northeast Forum on Spirituality and Aging)An outstanding survey for both health and general collections.(Midwest Book Review)Challenges conceptions of what is possible with memory loss... of special importance in Basting's book are the several chapters dedicated to programs that awaken imagination and explor what is possible for people with dementia.(Kate de Medeiros, PhDGerontologist)AlthoughForget Memorymay at first sight appear to be just another handbook for dementia carers, it defies the usual expectations of this recent literary category. By effectively showing how people with dementia can be stakeholders of their own well-being, Basting both raises the hope of restoring the dignity of this population, and provides caretakers with invaluable guidance of how to creatively improve their efforts... an innovative guidebook for dementia care, and for the understanding of dementia and people with dementia... In some senseForget Memoryis a manifesto for a revolution.(Bjorn MollerDementia)A unique work. This wide-ranging critique of the current approach to the care of persons with dementia and memory impairment provides a much-needed prescription for change.(Peter V. Rabins, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, coauthor ofThe 36-Hour Day)One of the most creative scholars in the area of dementia practice reminds in an unforgettable way that memory is more than we think and also less.(Peter J. Whitehouse, Case Western Reserve University, coauthor ofThe Myth of Alzheimer's)With her big ideas and sharp criticism, Anne Basting is a vital part of the Alzheimer's community. I don't always agree with her, but I'm sure glad she's a part of this important conversation.(David Shenk, author ofThe Forgetting)Forget Memoryis truly a memorable book. From its readings of films likeAway from HerandFinding Nemoto its moving accounts of art, music, and dance programs for people with dementia,Forget Memoryoffers us a vision of a more humane world—and a better future for aging people of all ages.(Michael Bérubé, The Pennsylvania State University)Anne Basting'sForget Memorybrings a lighthearted spirit of hope, love, creativity, and even fun to the culture of fear surrounding memory loss. It should be an essential guide to all families, caregivers, and patients seeking a humane response to the diagnosis of dementia.(Elinor Fuchs, author ofMaking an Exit: A Mother-Daughter Drama with Alzheimer's, Machine Tools, and Laughter)A powerful and provocative challenge to our culture's one-dimensional view of dementia as an unmitigated tragedy,Forget Memoryrejects the stigma of memory loss and offers us—as individuals and as a society—a deeply humane lifeline in the form of practical hope. Writing with grace and unpretentiousness, Basting insists on the persistence of creativity as memory diminishes, on the importance of the arts for expressing individuality, and on the key role to be played by a new generation of dementia activists.(Kathleen Woodward, editor ofFiguring Age: Women, Bodies, Generations)This book challenges the dreaded stigma attached to dementia by advocating news ways of thinking, and illustrates this with successful projects across the U.S.A.(Cathy GoodwinInternational Psychogeriatrics)I believe this book is incredibly powerful and valuable... The suggested future movements are very important and realistic, which I believe are imperative to the advancement of care for anyone involved in, or influenced by dementia.(Amy JenkinsJournal of Dementia and Mental Health)