Dementia is a terrible, mysterious disease that affects millions of Americans each year. It is a disease that also affects the entire family as they watch their loved one slip beyond their reach. It is a disease that I am unfortunately all too familiar with as I watch a family member live with Alzheimer’s. I was very excited to read this book because of the personal connection that I have to Dementia/Alzheimer’s…and I was not disappointed.

Ken Abraham’s book When Your Parent Becomes Your Child is a must-read for the families of those suffering from these terrible diseases. So many books about this topic are textbook-like and they are cold and factual; however, this book is exactly the opposite. By walking us through his family’s experience, Mr. Abraham brings compassion, understanding, and life to a very dehumanizing and misunderstood disease, while also teaching about the stages of the disease as you are drawn into his narrative. I couldn’t stop reading once I started! His genuine account of his mother’s journey was so compelling…and heart-breaking.

A personal favorite was reading about how his mother never forgot Jesus or music, even if she couldn’t remember what day it was. She could still play hymns the piano from memory until the very end and used her gift to encourage the people who lived with her in the nursing home. She was also still concerned about whether or not people loved Jesus, which shows that faith is not solely in the brain.

 Mr. Abraham’s insights into what potentially lies ahead were a great help, and his stories reminded me to cherish each moment and remember that it’s okay to laugh at the funny things that can happen or be said by dementia patients. This is a great book, and it was very encouraging to me because of our family’s current journey through the world of Alzheimer’s Disease.

I received a copy of this book from booksneeze.com in exchange for my honest review.