The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer Disease, Other Dementias, and Memory Loss

by Nancy L. Mace, John Chancer (Narrator), Anu Anand (Narrator)

For 40 years, The 36-Hour Day has been the leading work on the care of people with dementia and their family members. Written by experts with decades of experience caring for individuals with memory loss, Alzheimer disease, and other dementias, the book's authoritative and compassionate approach to care features discussions of the causes of dementia and the management of its symptoms from the early stages to late-stage disease.

This edition highlights the significant advances in diagnostic testing, treatment, and research that have occurred in recent years. Offering useful takeaway messages and informed by the latest practices in dementia care, this new edition has been thoroughly updated. It features

updated information on prevention, new diagnostic methods and criteria, and advances in medication therapyessential insights on everything from home care aides to useful apps to promising preventive techniques and therapies; andpractical advice for avoiding caregiver burnout—plus tips for when and how to get additional help. Like earlier editions, the eighth edition focuses on improving the lives of those with dementia and memory loss as well as those who love and care for them. The definitive guide to dementia care, The 36-Hour Day offers readers compassionate guidance and a ready resource for every step of the journey.

Audible Audio

Published September 16, 2025

About the author

Nancy L. Mace, MA, now retired, was a consultant to and a member of the board of directors of the Alzheimer Association and an assistant in psychiatry as coordinator of the T. Rowe and Eleanor Price Teaching Service of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Reviews

[Malinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a lot of information and resources in this book! It is probably best to focus on chapters most applicable to the stage your loved one is at and things pertinent to you.

For me, I wish I’d read this when my Dad first started showing signs of dementia! It would have prepared me for the ultra fast post-hospital to nursing home transition. It would also have been helpful when we needed to transition him to a new nursing home because his care needs changed. It gives you resources, questions to ask and why, and ideas on what to consider when making these decisions. It even covers briefly when a facility forces a move. Regardless, the multitude of symptoms and behaviors and approaches that can be taken are useful for me right now. I’ve learned not to directly disagree, provide reassurance, listen with empathy, show affection, distract, reduce noise and stimulation, simplify things, instead of giving multiple choices give one, and support a delusion of its safe (ex: I’m on a train) as just a few of the ways to handle situations. Each came with tangible examples in the book of how to react or handle a real scenario. There’s a chapter on family roles and responsibilities changing, which covered how to navigate the family dynamics. Pretty proud that ours has done well in this area. Another on legal matters with resources. It also talks about taking care of yourself as a caregiver and ways that can been done.

I highly encourage anyone with a loved one suffering from dementia, no matter what stage, to read this. At least skim through it for the chapters you feel will help. Knowledge will empower you in your journey!