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Book Review: Affirmative VoiceLearning to Speak Alzheimer's: A Groundbreaking Approach for Everyone Dealing with the DiseaseBy Joanne Koenig Coste Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston (2003): 240 pages.Reviewed by Nancy Stone Hindlian, M.S. At last, the long-awaited work of Alzheimer care pioneer Joanne Koenig Coste has been published. And this book was worth the wait. Koenig Coste has revealed her extensive knowledge about Alzheimer's disease as the result of the many years she has worked hands-on with families and people in all stages of the disease. The result is a sensitive, insightful, and reader-friendly book packed with information. Learning to Speak Alzheimer's is all about living in the patient's world. Koenig Coste wisely explains the philosophy of habilitation and the accompanying practical care techniques that can ensure a patient's dignity and bring about a positive care-partnering experience. Real life. Her inspiration is palpable and demonstrated in the stories she tells about individuals and their families. The anecdotes help to demonstrate how changes in the brain caused by AD relate to alterations in behavior, and how creating a positive environment can help the patient have feelings of success. Many concise, valuable tables and charts provide snapshots of important information, including The Habilitation Model (p. 41) which draws a clear picture of Minimizing Stress, Promoting Positive Emotion, Maximizing Success, and Optimizing Function. My favorite entry in the Glossary is that of Verbal Casserole, a term used to describe the fragmented language consisting of many words in no consistent order or relationship. Hard work, research, and years of experience are evident in Appendix and the Further Resources section in the back of the book. Information about pertinent Books, Music, Organizations, Videos, and Products are provided for the reader in a useful format. Treasure trove. As Koenig Coste states, "...care-partners can learn how to reach patients through their remaining capacity to feel and exhibit emotions." Learning to Speak Alzheimer's is well-written, nicely organized, full of information, backed by truth of experience, and is altogether quite profound. Quoting early stage participants in a support group is a simply brilliant way to understand how the patient is thinking and feeling. Consider the person who commented: "I don't know how to act-I've never been here before," or "I am still here-parts of me are missing, but parts of me are still damn good." A group leader since 1978, the author is an expert in every sense of the word. Learning to Speak Alzheimer's is a gift to the Alzheimer's community as well as a collaborative masterpiece. It is a must-have for the carer's bookshelf. You may want to check out our Publications area for other related books. Copyright 2004 Alzheimer's Association, Massachusetts Chapter
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