A little support makes a big difference.

Australians are being encouraged to find out more about dementia during Dementia Action Week this September, so people living with the condition feel less isolated and alone. Dementia impacts close to half a million Australians and almost 1.6 million Australians are involved in their care. The ‘A little support makes a big difference’ campaign demonstrates that many people living with dementia can continue to live active and fulfilling lives for many years after their diagnosis. This year, the focus will also be on supporting and celebrating carers of people living with dementia.

Western Downs Libraries offer a great selection of books and resources on Dementia, Alzheimer’s and memory loss. 

Chicken Soup for the Soul : living with Alzheimer’s & other dementias : 101 stories of caregiving, coping, and compassion
Personal accounts from Alzheimer’s patients and family memhttps://westerndowns.spydus.com/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/FULL/WPAC/BIBENQ/2065372/4688148,4bers on their individual struggles, providing inspiring and uplifting tales of strength, treatment, and compassion.

The Dementia Caregiver : a guide to caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease and other neurocognitive disorders
Becoming a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another neurocognitive disorder can be an unexpected, undesirable, underappreciated-and yet noble role. It is

 heartbreaking to watch someone lose the very cognitive capacities that once helped to define them as a person. But because of the nature of these disorders, the only way to become an effective caregiver and cope with the role’s many daily challenges is to become well-informed about the disease. With the right information, resources and tips on caregiving and working with professionals, you can become your own expert at both caring for your charge and taking care of yourself.

Live and Laugh with Dementia : the essential guide to maximising quality of life
Live and Laugh with Dementia is all about how to make life with dementia as positive as possible – to maximize quality of life for all concerned. Just as we need to exercise our body’s muscles to keep them strong, flexible and working well, so too do we need to exercise our mental muscles (our brain) in order to strengthen and maintain our neural capabilities. By tailoring activities to suit the needs and abilities of dementia patients, we can help them to: . maintain their relationships with others . maintain their self-identity . slow the decline of mental function by providing physical and mental stimulation . experience happiness and pleasure.


Loving Someone who has Dementia : how to find hope while coping with stress and grief
Research-based advice for people who care for someone with dementia. Nearly half of U.S. citizens over the age of 85 are suffering from some kind of dementia and require care. When Someone You Love Has Dementia is a new kind of caregiving book. It’s not about the usual techniques, but about how to manage on-going stress and grief. The book is for caregivers, family members, friends, neighbors as well as educators and professionals, anyone touched by the epidemic of dementia.

The Theft of Memory : Losing my father, one day at a time
Best known for his work among our nation’s poorest children, Jonathan Kozol now tells the story of his father’s life and extraordinary career as a noted specialist in neurological and psychiatric disorders of the brain. At the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, Dr Harry Kozol has the astonishing ability to narrate, step-by-step, his own slow descent into dementia. But the heart of the book lies in the bond between father and son, and the ways that bond intensified even as Harry’s verbal and cognitive skills progressively abandoned him.

Still Alice [dvd]
Alice Howland, happily married with three grown children, is a renowned linguistics professor who starts to forget words. When she receives a diagnosis of Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease, Alice and her family find their bonds thoroughly tested. Her struggle to stay connected to who she once was is frightening, heartbreaking, and inspiring.

One Photo
From Ross Watkins, the illustrator of The Boy Who Grew Into a Tree, and Liz Anelli, comes this moving picture book about family, the failings of memory and the strength of love. Told in stunning prose, with poignant artwork, this book is a celebration of what we hold dearest.

My Singing Nana
Billy’s beloved Nana’s memory is failing but they are always amigos, so when disaster strikes the day of the family’s big summer show, Billy finds a way he and Nana can save the day.

Grandma Forgets
Grandma is a little more forgetful than she used to be. She can’t remember how the family used to gather for Sunday lunch or how she used to drive to the beach in her sky-blue car. She makes up new rules for old games and often hides Dad’s keys. But that’s okay–it just means her family has to make new memories for her! An uplifting story about a family bound by love no matter what else might be forgotten.

View more in our collection

Dementia Australia Resources
7 tips for supporting people living with dementia
Resources to learn more about dementia and memory loss

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