When Dr. David Kirkpatrick’s wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2007, their lives—and their marriage—would change forever. In an honest, uplifting, and sometimes heartbreaking account of loving a partner with dementia, Dr. Kirkpatrick creates a clear guide for others in similar circumstances. He shares his perspective both as a loving and grief-stricken husband coping with a profound change in his marriage, and as a geriatric psychiatrist doing everything he can for his wife while continually learning throughout that experience.
Dr. Kirkpatrick tackles the tough questions about caretaking, grief, loss, love, and sex for those whose partners have dementia. When is the right time to find or even to begin considering a care home for your loved one? How can you navigate the complexities of your changing sexual relationship with an Alzheimer’s partner? When is it appropriate for you to consider new relationships? With wisdom and compassion, Dr. Kirkpatrick reflects on these questions and more.
Whether your partner has been recently diagnosed or has been living with dementia for many years, Neither Married nor Single will help lead you to effective strategies for living and loving in an Alzheimer’s marriage, and for dealing with the changes ahead.
And it will help you remember that you are not alone.
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“In a tender first-person account of his own upbeat, but also grief-filled, odyssey as a devoted and loving husband, Dr. David Kirkpatrick delivers. This literate, well-organized, and informative book fills a gaping hole in Alzheimer’s disease literature. Often-avoided topics (intimacy, sexuality, relationships with others) are faced head-on as the author, with patience and much self-revelation, describes the evolution of his wife’s disorder and the changes experienced in their marriage.”
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Dr. William L. Maurice, Associate Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia