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Creating Moments of Joy Along the Alzheimer's Journey: A Guide for Families and Caregivers
The beloved best seller has been revised and expanded for the fifth edition. Jolene Brackey has a vision: that we will soon look beyond the challenges of Alzheimer's disease to focus more of our energies on creating moments of joy. When people have short-term memory loss, their lives are made up of moments. We are not able to create perfectly wonderful days for people with dementia or Alzheimer's, but we can create perfectly wonderful moments, moments that put a smile on their faces and a twinkle in their eyes. Five minutes later, they will not remember what we did or said, but the feeling that we left them with will linger. The new edition of Creating Moments of Joy is filled with more practical advice sprinkled with hope, encouragement, new stories, and generous helpings of humor. In this volume, Brackey reveals that our greatest teacher is having cared for and loved someone with Alzheimer's and that often what we have most to learn about is ourselves.
376 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
341 people are currently reading
889 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
November 6, 2011
I loved this book and I will be gifting it to everyone I know who is a caregiver or family member of someone with any form of dementia.
I believe it should be required reading for all dementia care facilities. It is my thought that reading this book and applying the ideas in it would change a lot of the way patients are handled in these care facilities and add to better understanding and give some moments of joy even in the midst of this devastating disease to the patient, staff and family members.
I think I will also give it to my children so just in case I ever
develop dementia they will understand a little more and hopefully it will make caring for me easier.
I believe it should be required reading for all dementia care facilities. It is my thought that reading this book and applying the ideas in it would change a lot of the way patients are handled in these care facilities and add to better understanding and give some moments of joy even in the midst of this devastating disease to the patient, staff and family members.
I think I will also give it to my children so just in case I ever
develop dementia they will understand a little more and hopefully it will make caring for me easier.
February 25, 2019
An easy to read book of suggestions and anecdotes for caregivers, both family and professional, of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Somewhat repetitive, and very focused on moderate to late-stage disease. A few too many sweeping generalizations but written with a lot of heart, humor, and compassion.
February 7, 2011
This was a very helpful book thru a difficult disease. I sent this to my brother and he read the first 90 pages the day he received it and sent me email thanks. He said he learned a lot and proceeded to give me a mini-book review. I was surprised because he is very busy and not a huge book reader. I picked up a lot of good ideas and a much better understanding of Alzheimers. Her emphasis on how to create moments of joy is a wonderful gift to those dealing with the situation. She speaks with decades of experience and love and grace. Truly her heart shines thru in this book and will bless you!
September 7, 2025
This is a good book with a lot of good suggestions. One thing I wish is that she didn’t assume all people with ALZ are older. My husband was diagnosed at 59.
I do like that she stresses if it’s not hurting them or you, let it go.
I do like that she stresses if it’s not hurting them or you, let it go.
January 31, 2014
Great overall message & good practical tips. Favorites: loving lies, imagine things from their perspective, tap into their long term memories, avoid asking about short term memories, don't argue or fight with them about anything - just re-direct & try again from a different perspective, help to create moments of joy for them, they cannot change their disease, so we need to change our attitudes & tactics. A parent with dementia will never forget their kids, but they may not recognize you bc in their mind you should be much younger.
December 10, 2017
Short and easy to read book with some very helpful ideas. But I agree with the reviewer who found it hard to peg the author's audience. I think it could have used better editing. And it would have been nice to have an index (or at least a more meaningful table of contents) so that you could go back and find those bits of useful information more easily. All that being said, I would still suggest giving it a read if someone you care about has AD.
May 19, 2024
3 ⭐️
Coming from a health care background, and working regularly with people with dementia, I found there to be too many sweeping generalizations in this book.
I do think it would be worth the read for caregivers, friends, or family of a person with dementia, to help provide them some strategies of how to communicate effectively and have positive interactions.
Coming from a health care background, and working regularly with people with dementia, I found there to be too many sweeping generalizations in this book.
I do think it would be worth the read for caregivers, friends, or family of a person with dementia, to help provide them some strategies of how to communicate effectively and have positive interactions.
March 21, 2019
I like this author's kind and practical approach to caring for Alzheimer's patients. However, she's a bit sexist, and her stereotypic examples are off-putting. There are good suggestions for caregivers in this book, but one has to overlook some poor writing and the cultural bias.
February 26, 2022
The author means well, but her preachy tone was hard to stomach. I also found it odd that she attributed quotes to herself. This is a popular book about a heartbreaking topic, but I’ve enjoyed others so much more.
June 17, 2018
This is the most human book I have ever read. Don’t wait until your life is affected by Alzheimer’s. Read this book now. Trust me you will find value.
June 12, 2018
This is a wonderful collection of advice for caregivers of those with Dementia/Alzheimer's. Although I am not at that point with anyone yet, it contains valuable lessons in how to respond to anyone who is aging. We must learn to react differently as they change and keep a positive attitude when they are frustrated or confused. I recommend this to anyone who is facing this situation now or may do so in the future.
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November 21, 2024There are some really odd reccomendations in here (have a range of uniforms on hand so you can pretend to be a police officer or priest…) and a lot of gender stereotypes and a lot of repetition but if you can look past this and consider that it was written a while ago then there is some good advice to be found.
June 25, 2017
My mom recommended this book to me and I am very glad she did. A must read for anyone who knows or interacts with a person in any stage of dementia. This book is easy to read. It has true life examples and answers the questions of what do we do now?
June 26, 2023
A great book for helping during a loved ones struggle.
December 10, 2025
Great for anyone dealing with dementia - gives lots of good ideas.
February 3, 2022
A perfect first read as you begin your journey with a loved one suffering with dementia. Written in short snippets and a tender voice, this handbook offers insights that can really help you understand your loved ones’s situation and behaviors, and offers practical things you can do to improve the time you spend with your loved one. It’s a bit hokey and outdated but it’s easy to understand and easy to put into practice. This sweet book has helped me tremendously.
May 5, 2022
Good information told in a folksy style from an experienced caregiver.
November 7, 2018
An excellent book for anyone close to someone with, or facing dementia or alzheimer's. While the book's title suggests it is all about about how to make things betters for the patient from a caregivers perspective, I found it as much about understanding the disease, how to come to terms with it as a close family member, and ultimately how to respond to it for the benefit of both the patient and family member. An easy but valuable read.
February 6, 2025
This book was recommended multiple times on a Facebook support group that I follow. I bought it because my Dad has Parkinson’s Disease with Lewy Body Dementia. I started reading it in bed one night and immediately got on my phone and ordered it to be sent to my mom and sister as well. I love that I could jump around in the book depending on what behaviors my dad was displaying. Reading this book made me less anxious about my dad’s disease and more comfortable with our relationship and how to better communicate with him every step of the way. There are lots of pearls of wisdom, humor and ideas to use in this book. I am so happy it was recommended to me, and now I recommend it to anyone that I come across who I think could benefit by reading it.
April 21, 2017
This is an informative and helpful book for any caretaker. Brackey writes in a very warm and compassionate tone, and she includes many primary accounts. Her general advice is to recognize where the person is along her journey of the disease, (or, in my Mom's case, simply old age) and respond lovingly and supportively. Brackey also reminds all caregivers to not only be gentle with the older adults, but also with themselves. I love this quote from the Buddha: "You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection." We as caregivers too often forget that and need to be reminded.
March 5, 2018
a book of hope.
so helpful to understand what is going on and to realize that regardless of the circumstances, we can bring joy to others.
struggling with loving someone with dementia can be overwhelming, but this book provided a multitude of little things we can do to make a difference and feel a little less out-of-control.
so helpful to understand what is going on and to realize that regardless of the circumstances, we can bring joy to others.
struggling with loving someone with dementia can be overwhelming, but this book provided a multitude of little things we can do to make a difference and feel a little less out-of-control.
December 10, 2019
I read this book for work and HIGHLY suggest it to anyone who plans on aging. Seriously.
"Creating Moments of Joy" is a how-to guide hidden in real life experiences. We can learn from each other and our we can definitely learn from our own lives and mistakes.
"Creating Moments of Joy" is a how-to guide hidden in real life experiences. We can learn from each other and our we can definitely learn from our own lives and mistakes.
July 19, 2010
A very positive book that I enjoyed reading....with a subject like dementia, that's quite a compliment.
December 31, 2011
Wonderful, wonderful book every person who comes in contact with this horrible disease should read.
January 15, 2013
Excellent dialog to assist any person dealing with a family member or friend suffering from dementia.
November 5, 2015
One of the best I've read for caregivers or family and friends of those with dementia. Highly recommend.
October 8, 2020
Very down to earth advice that can be used by anyone dealing with a loved ones brain injury too. Also heartbreaking in places.
March 31, 2010
Fantastic information and amazing ideas to help a loved one on the unbelievable journey ... so good
November 14, 2024
This is book is a very mixed bag. The author, an experienced caregiver, gives quite a bit of really excellent advice mixed with some really odd ideas.
The book was published in 2017, but she speaks of her patients and the people whom the reader is probably dealing with as the World War II generation, and orients her tips toward things which would have been familiar to that group. Most of the parents of the baby boom generation are now gone, and it is the boomers ourselves who, one would think, would have taken their places as AD patients.
The author also has very odd pieces of advice on sex, which it seems to me disregard the feelings and dignity of the caregiver. She generalizes male and female responses, on both the caregiver and the patient sides, in a very stereotyped and almost quaintly old-fashioned way.
While she offers a lot of support and guidance for the caregiver, and urges them to take care of themselves, she describes quite a few situations in which she seems to feel the caregiver ought to completely submerge their own needs and feelings. One of the most extreme cases is the one in which she recommends that the home caregiver who has taken in an older relative with AD to completely rearrange their living room to make it as close as possible to that in the relative's former home. This may work for some people, but it is an enormous imposition on the caregiver and their family. There is certainly a lot to be said to accommodating oneself to the patient's needs, to make them comfortable, and to reduce their anxiety, but the cost of making the patient's needs central (because in some ways, the caregiver's life is made easier too) can be very high.
The reader should be aware that there is a fair amount of religious reference, which might be off-putting to some.
The book addresses both professional caregivers and home caregivers in a rather confusing fashion. Better editing would have helped. As others have pointed out, there's no organized way to enable ease of looking back to a specific piece of advice.
On the whole, I think the book has a lot to offer, but the reader may have to do a bit of winnowing to extract it. There's no doubting the author's good heart and long experience.
The book was published in 2017, but she speaks of her patients and the people whom the reader is probably dealing with as the World War II generation, and orients her tips toward things which would have been familiar to that group. Most of the parents of the baby boom generation are now gone, and it is the boomers ourselves who, one would think, would have taken their places as AD patients.
The author also has very odd pieces of advice on sex, which it seems to me disregard the feelings and dignity of the caregiver. She generalizes male and female responses, on both the caregiver and the patient sides, in a very stereotyped and almost quaintly old-fashioned way.
While she offers a lot of support and guidance for the caregiver, and urges them to take care of themselves, she describes quite a few situations in which she seems to feel the caregiver ought to completely submerge their own needs and feelings. One of the most extreme cases is the one in which she recommends that the home caregiver who has taken in an older relative with AD to completely rearrange their living room to make it as close as possible to that in the relative's former home. This may work for some people, but it is an enormous imposition on the caregiver and their family. There is certainly a lot to be said to accommodating oneself to the patient's needs, to make them comfortable, and to reduce their anxiety, but the cost of making the patient's needs central (because in some ways, the caregiver's life is made easier too) can be very high.
The reader should be aware that there is a fair amount of religious reference, which might be off-putting to some.
The book addresses both professional caregivers and home caregivers in a rather confusing fashion. Better editing would have helped. As others have pointed out, there's no organized way to enable ease of looking back to a specific piece of advice.
On the whole, I think the book has a lot to offer, but the reader may have to do a bit of winnowing to extract it. There's no doubting the author's good heart and long experience.
March 21, 2025
"Creating Moments of Joy for the Person with Alzheimer's or Dementia: A Journal for Caregivers" by Jolene Brackey is a highly regarded resource that offers valuable insights and practical advice for those caring for individuals with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. Here's a summary of the key takeaways from reviews:
Focus on Positive Moments:
The book emphasizes shifting the focus from the challenges of dementia to creating positive and joyful moments for the person affected.
It highlights that even with memory loss, individuals can still experience feelings and emotions, and caregivers can play a crucial role in fostering those positive experiences.
Practical and Usable Advice:
Reviewers praise the book for its practical and hands-on approach, providing caregivers with concrete strategies and techniques they can implement in their daily interactions.
It offers guidance on communication, creating supportive environments, and engaging in activities that can bring joy and connection.
Emotional Support:
The book not only provides practical advice but also offers emotional support and encouragement to caregivers, acknowledging the emotional toll of caregiving.
It helps caregivers to understand the emotional state of the people that they are caring for.
Journaling Aspect:
The inclusion of journaling prompts encourages caregivers to reflect on their experiences and document moments of joy, creating a valuable record and tool for ongoing care.
Overall Impact:
Many reviewers describe the book as a transformative resource that has significantly improved their caregiving experience and their relationship with their loved one.
It is often described as a must have book for people that are in this care giver role.
In essence, "Creating Moments of Joy" is a compassionate and practical guide that empowers caregivers to create meaningful and joyful experiences for individuals with dementia, enhancing their quality of life and fostering connection.
Focus on Positive Moments:
The book emphasizes shifting the focus from the challenges of dementia to creating positive and joyful moments for the person affected.
It highlights that even with memory loss, individuals can still experience feelings and emotions, and caregivers can play a crucial role in fostering those positive experiences.
Practical and Usable Advice:
Reviewers praise the book for its practical and hands-on approach, providing caregivers with concrete strategies and techniques they can implement in their daily interactions.
It offers guidance on communication, creating supportive environments, and engaging in activities that can bring joy and connection.
Emotional Support:
The book not only provides practical advice but also offers emotional support and encouragement to caregivers, acknowledging the emotional toll of caregiving.
It helps caregivers to understand the emotional state of the people that they are caring for.
Journaling Aspect:
The inclusion of journaling prompts encourages caregivers to reflect on their experiences and document moments of joy, creating a valuable record and tool for ongoing care.
Overall Impact:
Many reviewers describe the book as a transformative resource that has significantly improved their caregiving experience and their relationship with their loved one.
It is often described as a must have book for people that are in this care giver role.
In essence, "Creating Moments of Joy" is a compassionate and practical guide that empowers caregivers to create meaningful and joyful experiences for individuals with dementia, enhancing their quality of life and fostering connection.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews