SCIENCES

Dementia Reimagined: Building a Life of Joy and Dignity from Beginning to End

by Tia Powell
Avery. Apr. 2019. 320p. notes. index. ISBN 9780735210905. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780735210929. HEALTH
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According to Powell (psychiatry & bioethics, Albert Einstein Coll. of Medicine, NY), 10,000 U.S. baby boomers turn 65 every day. By the time they reach 85, their chances of having dementia approach 50 percent. Here, the author traces in detail the history of our cultural response to the disease—from putting people "in jail, in workhouses, in shackles, and in mental institutions"—as well as medical understandings of the disease. Powell's mother and grandmother both had dementia, and the author foresees it in her own future. Unfortunately, she doesn't see a cure coming any time soon and feels what's needed is a concentration on care: "what we can do for those who have dementia, and how to keep life meaningful and even joyful."
VERDICT While her history of treatment and research is eye-opening, Powell's vision of "building a life of joy and dignity from beginning to end" is not as specific as most concerned readers would hope. Still, it's a good start toward reimagining this devastating disease.
Reviewed by Marcia G. Welsh, Dartmouth Coll. Lib., Hanover, NH , Feb 01, 2019
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