Travellers to Unimaginable Lands

'Travellers to Unimaginable Lands: Dementia, Carers and the Hidden Workings of the Mind' by Dasha Kiper (ISBN 978 1 80081 619 0) has been recommended by members of the Four Rivers Dementia Alliance as a fascinating account of the psychology of caregiving. The hypothesis of the book is that the caregiver is just as much a victim of Alzheimer's as is the person they are looking after and the underlying issue is related to how our brains have evolved. It is a work of compassion that attempts to show that our reactions as caregivers, anger, frustration, disbelief, sadness and isolation can be explained by the way our own brain operates. The book blends neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, literature and observed case studies and dispels the myth of the perfect caregiver but gives us understanding and forgiveness.

18th May 2023