The Alzheimer's Disease Bookstore

Tales From My Teachers On The Alzheimer's Unit

A Collection of Poetry Inspired By and in Dedication to Victims of Alzheimer's Disease.

In The Author's Own Words:

These poems arose out of notes I made during lunch breaks from my job as social worker on the Alzheimer's unit of a Midwestern nursing home. These poems were initially a way for me to preserve my poet self, a way to counter the tendency to see residents only as bodies occupying beds...Stories and poems reach into and deepen our awareness of the irrational side of human experience. In the Alzheimer's unit described here, rational thought is toppled and something more mysterious arises. The residents' stories provided me with a window through which I could look beyond institutional walls into the unique lives of residents. As witness, listener and participant, I was afforded the gift of personal education that I herewith pass on to you. Sue Silvermarie

Reviews:

""This enchanting collection of poetry should be read and treasured by the professional, the educator, the caregiver. and the next-of-kin---anyone, in fact, who wishes to understand the inner world and mind of the Alzheimer's patient. Sue Silvermarie, a social worker, poet, and certified poetry therapist, takes us into her "village of elders"; their voices reveal unexpected insights amid confusion, wit and irony amid sadness, and not the least, the plea to be regarded and treated with fellow feeling and esteem," Howard Goldstein, Professor Emeritus, Case Western Reserve University

"Sue Silvermarie's poetry is a testament to the human spirit challenged by dementia. These stories of individuals, not "cases" of Alzheimer's disease patients, will enrich the compassionate care of professionals as well as their collaborative work with residents and their families. Silvermarie"s poetry shows the residents are not shells whose cognitive capacities have been stripped away, emphasizing instead the primacy of residents' relationships with staff, family members, other patients, and God. Silvermarie captures the struggle to preserve and express these primary values," Marilyn Bonjean, ICF Consultant, Inc.,Milwaukee, Wisconsin

You can now order the book listed below directly on the Internet from Lake Solitude Media's Alzheimer's Bookstore in affiliation with Amazon.com Books. Click on the link below.