National Network for Equitable Library Service

More than four million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's, and as many as twenty million have close relatives or friends with the disease. Revolutionizing the way we perceive and live with Alzheimer's, Joanne Koenig Coste offers a practical approach to the emotional well-being of both patients and caregivers that emphasizes relating to patients in their own reality. Her accessible and comprehensive method, which she calls habilitation, works to enhance communication between care partners and patients. By meeting the patients in their own reality, rather than trying to force them to comply with a world they may no longer inhabit, we are able to respond in a way that brings satisfaction and even joy to both patients and caregivers.