Recommended Books for Dementia Caregivers

By Melissa J. Long, CTRS, CDP, CADDCT, CDSGF, BF- CMT, DCCS, DCC-CI

Though this is not a comprehensive listing of all the books available, we hope it will help you get started with resources that can support you in your role as a dementia caregiver. Share this list with family members and friends to deepen their understanding and strengthen their ability to provide care.

(Note: Some titles may overlap in theme or category.)

Education & Skills

• The Alzheimer’s Action Plan: What You Need to Know—and What You Can Do—about Memory Problems, From Prevention to Early Intervention and Care — P. Murali Doraiswamy, MD & Lisa P. Gwyther, MSW, et al.

• Contented Dementia — Oliver James

• The DICE Approach: Guiding the Caregiver in Managing the Behavioral Symptoms of Dementia — Helen C. Kales, MD; Laura N. Gitlin, PhD; & Constantine G. Lyketsos, MD, MHS

• Learning To Speak Alzheimer’s — Joanne Koenig-Coste & Robert N. Butler, MD

• Reducing Stress-Related Behaviours in People with Dementia — Chris Bonner

• Understanding the Changing Brain: A Positive Approach to Dementia Care — Teepa Snow

• The Validation Breakthrough: Simple Techniques for Communicating with People with Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias — Naomi Feil, MSW & Vicki De Klerk-Rubin

• Validation Techniques for Dementia Care — Vicki De Klerk-Rubin

• What to Do Between the Tears… A Practical Guide to Dealing with a Dementia or Alzheimer’s Diagnosis in the Family — Tara Reed

• When Reasoning No Longer Works: A Practical Guide for Caregivers Dealing with Dementia & Alzheimer’s Care — Angel Smits

• When Waves Rise: Navigating Difficult Moments Associated with Dementia — Sarah Viola, OTR/L & Naomi Evans

• Why is Grandma Screaming? A Practical Guide to Improving Quality of Life in Long-Term Care — Barbara F. Speedling

• You Say Goodbye and We Say Hello: The Montessori Method for Positive Dementia Care — Tom & Karen Brenner with Frank Adam Brenner

• Caregiving at a Glance

Perspective & Approaches

• Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End — Atul Gawande

• The Busy Caregiver’s Guide to Advanced Alzheimer’s Disease — Jennifer R. Stelter, PsyD with Rachael Wonderlin

• Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living with Alzheimer’s & Other Dementias — Amy Newmark & Angela Timashenka Geiger

• The Conscious Caregiver: A Mindful Approach to Caring for Your Loved One Without Losing Yourself — Linda Abbit

• Creative Care: A Revolutionary Approach to Dementia and Elder Care — Anne Basting

• Dignity for Deeply Forgetful People: How Caregivers Can Meet the Challenges of Alzheimer’s Disease — Stephen G. Post & Jade C. Angelica

• The Enduring Self in People with Alzheimer’s — Sam Fazio, PhD & Stephen Post

• Journey Through the Infinite Mind: The Science and Spirituality of Dementia — Katya De Luisa

• The Spectrum of Hope: An Optimistic & New Approach to Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias — Gayatri Devi, MD

• Ten Thousand Joys & Ten Thousand Sorrows: A Couple’s Journey Through Alzheimer’s — Olivia Ames Hoblitzelle

Engagement, Connection & Activities

• Art Therapy with Older Adults: Connected & Empowered — Erin Partridge

• Creating Moments of Joy for the Person With Alzheimer’s or Dementia — Jolene Brackey

• Creative Engagement: A Handbook of Activities for People with Dementia — Rachael Wonderlin & Geri M. Lotze, PhD

• Dementia Activities: How to Plan Engaging Activities for a Person With Dementia — Teri Halstead, RN, MSN

• Forgetting Memory: Creating Better Lives for People with Dementia — Anne Davis Basting

• Keeping Busy: A Handbook of Activities for Persons with Dementia — James R. Dowling

• The Montessori Alzheimer’s Project: Bringing Montessori Insights to Dementia Care — Lyle Weinstein & Greg MacDonald

• The Montessori Method for Connecting to People with Dementia — Tom & Karen Brenner

• Montessori Works for Dementia: Everyday Activities for People Living with Dementia — Stephen & Bernadette Phillips, BA, MA

Lived Experience

• Dementia Reimagined: Building a Life of Joy and Dignity from Beginning to End — Tia Powell, MD

• Floating in the Deep End: How Caregivers Can See Beyond Dementia — Patti Davis

• My Two Elaines: Learning, Coping, and Surviving as an Alzheimer’s Caregiver — Martin J. Schreiber & Cathy Breitenbucher

• On Pluto: Inside the Mind of Alzheimer’s — Greg O’Brien & Lisa Genova

• Still Alice (fiction) — Lisa Genova

• A Tattoo on My Brain: A Neurologist’s Personal Battle Against Alzheimer’s — Dr. Daniel Gibbs with Teresa H. Barker

• What I Wish People Knew About Dementia, From Someone Who Knows — Wendy Mitchell

Ambiguous Loss & Grief

• After Caregiving Ends: A Guide to Beginning Again — Denise M. Brown

• Keeping Love Alive as Memories Fade: The 5 Love Languages and the Alzheimer’s Journey — Debbie Barr, MA; Edward G. Shaw, MD; & Gary Chapman, PhD

• Loving Someone Who Has Dementia — Pauline Boss, PhD

• Seven Choices: Finding Daylight After Loss Shatters Your World — Elizabeth Harper Neeld, PhD

Practical Tips

If you are concerned that your loved one might have an adverse reaction to seeing one of these books around the house, consider:

• Choosing the e-book or audiobook version when available.

• Removing or replacing the book cover with something more neutral.