Perspectives on Rehabilitation and Dementia

 Perspectives on Rehabilitation and Dementia
 Edited by Mary Marshall, Jessica Kingsley Publishers
 ISBN: 1843102862, £19.95

 STAR RATING: 5/5

Rehabilitation is a positive word suggesting that things could change for the better. So publishing a book with such a title potentially makes a very important contribution to linking treatment and support of people with dementia to the wider professional and public policy agenda, writes Les Bright.

Drawing on well-received papers presented to a conference, and then seeking out other contributions from a broad range of practitioners and researchers has led to a comprehensive look at the topic – a chapter entitled “An Australian Model of Community Dementia Care” being followed by “The Central Aberdeenshire Experience” demonstrates this succinctly.

In addition, the perspectives of people with dementia and their carers are included, and this sits well within the overall feel of a book that manages to feel scholarly and practical in roughly equal measures.

Service planners could gain from dipping in to this collection and testing the extent to which their current plans reflect the thinking shared by the authors. The importance of team working is stated throughout, and in an era of partnership working this provides yet another useful policy hook on which to hang revised plans.

Les Bright is an independent consultant and professional adviser to the Relatives and Residents Association