Dementia is one of Australia’s most pressing health challenges.
More than 400,000 Australians live with dementia, and this figure is projected to double by 2058, according to the latest data.
Additionally, dementia is the leading cause of death for Australian women and the second leading cause of death overall.
An estimated 1.7 million people in Australia are involved in the care of someone with dementia. Families and caregivers are often thrust into overwhelming roles, navigating emotional and practical complexities without adequate support.
To Dementia With Love is a deeply personal and inspiring memoir, offering a unique blend of heartfelt storytelling and practical insights for anyone caring for a loved one with dementia. Available now, this compelling book by Dr Debra Graves OAM and journalist Jane Carstens redefines caregiving for dementia.
It’s a book for caregivers, families, and anyone impacted by dementia, in the hope that it will help them navigate this terrible disease.
Key themes of the book
• Unconventional caregiving: Encouraging readers to craft their own caregiving pathway.
• The power of travel: Inspiring stories of how travel brought joy and connection to Debra and Don’s lives, even as dementia progressed.
• Support and self-care: Exploration of how to recognise and manage the emotional and physical demands of caregiving.
• Personal yet universal experiences: The shared struggles and triumphs of caregiving. To Dementia With Love addresses the reality of dementia, offering personal stories, and insights into the confusion and grief that are often the carer’s constant companions.
The memoir draws from Debra’s personal experience caring for her husband, Don, as well as her professional expertise as a doctor and the former Chief Executive Officer of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA).
However, Debra’s memoir is not a medical book but rather a testament to resilience, love, and finding joy in unexpected moments.
To Dementia with Love empowers caregivers to embrace creativity and adaptability, showing them that dignity, connection, and joy are always within reach. Refusing to follow traditional caregiving norms,
Debra wrote her own rules. She crafted a life filled with dignity, joy, and connection for her adored husband, despite the challenges they faced together.
Commenting on her experience caring for a loved one with dementia and her new book, Debra said, “Caregiving is one of the hardest but most meaningful journeys anyone can take. This book is about breaking away from rigid norms and finding a way to care that works for you and your loved one, even in the face of life’s greatest challenges. I wanted to show people that caregiving is deeply personal – there’s no single rulebook. To Dementia with Love is more than a memoir – it’s an invitation to rethink how we approach caregiving and dementia. My journey wasn’t perfect, but it was ours, and it was full of love.”
The book provides a timeline of Don’s decline over the years that may assist in understanding how this disease can evolve.
It also continues past Don’s eventual death and shows the impact the previous years had on Debra as a carer and a wife, and how she rebuilt her life one step at a time.
“This book is for anyone who has faced the complexities of caregiving and is searching for hope, resilience, and guidance in their own journey,” Jane Carstens said.
To purchase head to thebookadviser.com.au/product/todementiawithlove.
