Social Work and Dementia – Good Practice and Care Management

By
Margaret Anne Tibbs.
Jessica Kingsley Publishing
£13.95
ISBN 1 85302 904 1

In
this book, Tibbs aims to provide guidance on person-centred social work with
people with dementia and their families. She uses the useful image of a pathway
through dementia with points en route where it meets social work. The book is
organised in terms of this pathway from diagnosis to death. The author laments
the demise of long-term social work with people with dementia and their
families, although it could be argued that people can meet many professionals
on this pathway and continuity might better be provided by whichever profession
suits individuals and their families best.

The
sections on social and emotional needs, attachment theory and systems theory
will be very helpful to social workers. There is a good section on cultural
difference, with some helpful case studies of dementia in families from
minority ethnic groups. This section also includes class, younger people with
dementia and sexual orientation.

One
weakness of this book is its very English focus. The occasional mentions of
Alzheimer’s Scotland – Action on Dementia do not compensate for a total failure
to acknowledge that legislation is different in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
There is also an unnerving tendency to generalise.

Mary
Marshall is director, Dementia Services Development Centre, University of
Stirling.