Abstract

Dementia today requires care that is tailored to the patient’s life and personality. Because they know the patient so well, family members are troubled, resentful, and reflective. This book painstakingly depicts the family’s activities in understanding dementia, being led to caregiving, and rebuilding a relationship with the patient.

Reviews
“As families strive for better care, they are forced to reflect on the patient’s past, that is, whether they knew the person’s life. ... Many readers will nod in agreement with the author’s elaborate argument.” —Susumu Nomura, nonfiction writer

“The author says, ‘It is not that caregiving families are distressed because they cannot cope well with dementia, but that their distress is proof that the family respects the dementia patient.’ There are no better words of relief for families bearing a heavy burden.” —Junya Tsutsui, sociologist

“The author asks, ‘Why is family caregiving so hard, and what is the source of that hardship?’ Without a proper understanding of these issues, it will never lead to happiness for both the caregiver and the recipient. ...The columns are placed at the end of the chapters. It is easy to read with many examples.” —The Japan Agricultural News

“I hope that many people involved in dementia care will pick up the book.” —Fumiko Ohgisawa, Clinical psychologist

Author’s Information

He left the Graduate School of Letters at Kyoto University after receiving certification for doctoral studies (Literature). He is currently a researcher at the Urban Culture Research Center at Osaka City University and a part-time researcher at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology. He specializes in medical sociology and family sociology. His major works include The Ultimate Introduction to Social Surveys: For those just starting out in qualitative surveys (co-edited and authored, Nakanishiya Publishing), Care Based on the Feelings of People with Dementia: Home Care, Nursing Homes, and Convalescent Hospitals (co-authored, Intermedica), and Constructivism as a Methodology (co-authored, Keiso Shobo).