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What happens in the brain that leads to dementia? Dr. Sandeep Jauhar, a cardiologist, witnessed his father—a world-renowned geneticist-develop Alzheimer's disease despite being an intellectual deeply engaged in research. This puzzling reality led him to seek answers.
Adding to the family's challenges, his mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Alzheimer's gradually eroded his father’s cognition, while Parkinson’s took a toll on his mother’s body. Jauhar and his siblings became caregivers for both parents, often clashing over treatment decisions, caregiving approaches, and end-of-life choices.
In this book, Jauhar shares his journey of transitioning from a doctor to a family caregiver. He also explores how caregivers can navigate their careers, family responsibilities, sibling dynamics, and financial burdens while seeking balance.
With Taiwan’s dementia population exceeding 300,000, the issues addressed in this book resonate with tens of thousands of families facing similar struggles. It serves as an essential reference for anyone dealing with dementia caregiving.
(More insights can be found in My Father’s Brain: Life in the Shadow of Alzheimer's)
This article is published with permission from CommonWealth Publishing Group.
