Loving Someone Who Has Dementia: How to Find Hope while Coping with Stress and Grief

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction xv

1 The Ambiguous Loss of Dementia: How

Absence and Presence Coexist 1

2 The Complications of Both Loss

and Grief 21

3 Stress, Coping, and Resiliency 37

4 The Myth of Closure 55

5 The Psychological Family 71

6 Family Rituals, Celebrations, and

Gatherings 91

7 Seven Guidelines for the Journey 109

8 Delicious Ambiguity 137

9 The Good-Enough Relationship 155

Conclusion 167

A Note to Caregivers About Working

with Health Care Professionals 173

Resources 181

Notes 187

About the Author 215

Index 217