Product Description

A riveting, often humorous, non-fiction novel that chronicles Jacqueline Marcell's trials and tribulations, and eventual success at managing the care of her aging parents. Elder Rage is also an extensive self-help book with solutions for effective management, medically and behaviorally, of challenging elders who resist care. Includes answers to difficult "how to" questions like: getting obstinate elders to give up driving, accept a caregiver, see a different doctor, go to adult day care, move to a new residence--and includes a wealth of valuable resources, websites and recommended reading. The addendum by renowned dementia specialist, Rodman Shankle, MS MD: A Physician’s Guide to Treating Dementia, makes it valuable for everyone from the family to the physician. Elder Rage is required reading at several universities for graduate courses in geriatric assessment and management.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #32452 in Books
• Published on: 2001-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 346 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780967970318
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"A remarkable book... you deserve a great credit, congratulations!" -- Steve Allen

"A riveting story, punctuated by wit and humor. Not only for the lay public but for general physicians, psychologists, neurologists, and psychiatrists." -- Kaiser Permanente Journal, Dr. Elliot S. Eisenberg, MD, Spring 2001

"Filled with practical advice. Marcell gives insights for anyone facing such tough decisions. We can learn a lot from her experience." -- Modern Healthcare Magazine, Charles S. Lauer, Publisher, March 5, 2001

"I thought I knew Jacqueline until I read her book. Wow, what a story!" -- Regis Philbin

"It's like fiction, or a made-for-TV movie, filled with despair and deception, then resolution and redemption--leavened by doses of humor." -- AARP's BULLETIN, Cover Story, by Susan L. Crowley, April 2001.

"Jacqueline tackles that part of life that most think will never happen and shocks us out of our denial..." -- Dr. Dean Edell

"Jacqueline's story and style of writing will surely grab a large readership." -- Hugh Downs

"She stresses: when your loved one does something that strikes you as illogical or irrational--it is! That's when you should seek help." -- Ann Shields, Special to The Los Angeles Times , March 2001

"Those of you with aging parents need to take stock of their situation so you can help them before it's too late. Jacqueline has shown you the way." -- Journal of Longevity , Dr. Paul Yutsis, MD, June, 2001

From the Publisher
If you’re caring for elderly loved ones and find the task daunting, then you're in the same position that Jacqueline Marcell found herself. She gave up her career as a television executive, went through 40 caregivers, and cried rivers for a year before she succeeded in solving the endless crisis, and teaches you how in this riveting bestseller.

Delivered with a humorous tone to make a tough subject palatable, Marcell relates how she fought through an unsympathetic medical system and endured her "Jekyll & Hyde" father's physical and emotional wrath, until she finally found help for him and her ailing mother. What she didn't understand was that his deeply engrained life-long negative behavior pattern of screaming and yelling to get his way (though never at her before), was becoming intermittently distorted with the onset of dementia, namely--Alzheimer's. Marcell points out that not everyone becomes aggressive with dementia. She says her mother was sweet and lovely both before and after her Alzheimer's diagnosis, indicating that the disease can manifest itself in many ways. There are many types of dementia, Alzheimer's is just one type, and there is no stopping the progression nor is there yet a cure.

Statistically families (and many doctors who are not dementia specialists) ignore early warning signs, because they incorrectly believe that these intermittently odd behaviors are just a normal part of aging and untreatable senility. Marcell says, "By the age of 65 one out of every ten persons has some form of dementia, and by the age of 85 one out of every two. Surprisingly, the fastest growing segment of our population is the 85+ group, and over 50 million Americans struggle to provide care for aging family members and friends."

Marcell says her mission is to "spread the word about the importance of early diagnosis to the 77 million baby boomers who are so often in denial about eldercare until they are in a crisis." She wants everyone to know that with the proper treatment, dementia symptoms might be masked and slowed down by 2-5 years, keeping a person in Stage One longer, which is intermittent and mild. "Seeking help early can save families a lot of heartache and money, and save our society the burden of caring for so many elders who decline sooner than need be."

The Alzheimer’s Association reports that by delaying the onset of AD for five years, we could save $50 billion in annual health care costs. Even a one-month delay in nursing home placement could save $1 billion a year. Marcell says, "It's really very simple: When your loved one does something that strikes you as illogical or irrational--it is! You don't need to be a Ph.D. to know something is wrong--you need an M.D. who can diagnose it and then treat it properly."

Marcell credits the Alzheimer's Association for referring her to a geriatric dementia specialist who uncovered her father's early stage Alzheimer's disease. (His regular doctors missed it completely.) He prescribed medication to slow the dementia down and improve her father’s cognitive functioning (Aricept, Exelon or Reminyl), and then he treated the aggression, and the (often-present) depression. After balancing him with optimal nutrition, and vitamin therapies, Marcell implemented her own "Elder Behavior Modification 101", consisting of rewards & consequences (because his short-term memory was still quite good), and succeeded in turning around his bad behaviors--the majority of the time. When that didn’t work she used distraction, redirection, reminiscence and validation… but discovered that the offer of his favorite dessert usually worked the best to get him in the shower!

The final key was getting herself into a support group, and getting both parents out of bed ("waiting to die") and enrolled in physical and emotional therapies at an Adult Day Health Care facility--which completely turned their lives around at 80 and 85. Marcell adds, "75% of dementia patients are being cared for at home, and sadly, elder abuse is rising dramatically because families are so unprepared for the frustrations of caregiving their elders, who are living longer than ever. She believes that with education and the use of Adult Day Care, elder abuse can be reduced. She is pleased that the National Center on Elder Abuse published a very favorable review of Elder Rage in their national newsletter.

Marcell emphasizes, "Dementia costs American business over $61 billion a year--largely due (79%) to lost productivity and absenteeism of employees who must take time off to care for ailing loved ones. Everyone should know the ten early warning signs of dementia and the importance of seeking help sooner than later." She says she learned caregiving the hard way, which is why she wrote her first book, "so that no one would ever have to go through what I did."

Determined to make a difference, she says her mission is to "get to Washington as quickly as possible and help change our eldercare laws." She laughs, "I have an ulterior motive--I don't have children, so I've got to help straighten things out before I get old!"

From the Author
Endorsed by: Hugh Downs, Regis Philbin, Steve Allen, Ed Asner, Jacqueline Bisset, Dr. Harold Bloomfield, John Bradshaw, Pam Dawber, Fred de Cordova, Phyllis Diller, Duke University Center for Aging, Jerry Dunphy, Ken Dychtwald, Dr. Dean Edell, Betty Friedan, Leeza Gibbons, Dr. John Gray, Mark Victor Hansen, Julie Harris, Senator Tom Hayden, Institute for Successful Aging, Johns Hopkins Memory Clinic, Dr. Irene Kassorla, Janet Leigh, Art Linkletter, Ed McMahon, Hayley Mills, Jane Powell, Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, Dr. Bernie Siegel, Dr. Nancy Snyderman/ABC News, Robert Stack, Dr. Eric Tangalos/Mayo Clinic, Dr. Rudy Tanzi/Harward Medical School, and the National Adult Day Services Association.

Customer Reviews

HELPFUL, INSIGHTFUL AND INSPIRING!
Today, we live in such a fast-paced society, forever balancing our own homelife and that of our children, with work schedules, school events, household chores and multiple obligations. All of a sudden, we find our own parent(s)who were once so strong and reliant, have seemingly become the child and the roles have reversed. It is a natural instint of children to want to please their parent(s), so out of parental love, and with a heartfelt sense of gratitude, responsibility and obligation, we take on the additional role of caregiver, mentor, teacher, advisor, and confident to our aging parent(s).

Jacqueline Marcell has a way of making you feel sane again, and at the same time, her wit and writing style will capture your heart and help you to understand you are not alone. Each of us must deal with the situation in our own way, depending on our financial situation, available resources, position in the life's cycle and the allowable time we have to take on the extra responsibility. However, the first-hand experiences of someone who has "been there and done that" can help tremendously.

Over the course of ten years, I watched my father regress, through cancer and age, from a strong, independent, brilliant, business professional to a babbling, hallucinating, demanding, dictator. There comes a time, when constant, professional, around-the-clock care is required, that it may necessary to place the parent in institutionalized care. That decision, in itself, ususally leaves the family with mixed feelings of love and guilt, frustration and betrayal, and a host of other unanticipated, gut-wrenching emotions.

This book helps put the "rage" and other mixed emotions in a much clearer perspective, and leaves you with the understanding it is a natural reaction to feel all those things, it's how you deal with those feelings that is important. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is caring for, or anticipating the care of, an aging parent(s). It probably will not change the inevitable chain of events, but it may bring a sense of balance to your life.

Humor Is the Best Medicine
Jacqueline Marcell is the perfect person to help those who must care for aging parents. She has been there, done that. She is an ideal guide through what is often a limbo of survival by hook or crook because she has a sense of humor.

Marcell teaches by example. With a light heart she tells of her own experiences with an aging father and with a system that can be far more exasperating than dealing with her difficult father. The light heart did not come easily. Because of the hard-earned know-how Marcell shares in "Elder Rage," the process will be much easier for you.

This book has been endorsed by many self-help gurus including John Bradshaw and Bernie Siegel. It has a succinct and well-written addendum on treating dementia by Rodman Shankle, MS, MD. He is the former medical direct of the University of California at Irvine's Alzheimer's Center.

Occasionally Marcell lapses into lingo that may be too hip for some; because of that, it might not be understood by some of those in-between generations who aren't suffering from Alzheimer's (yet!), but mostly the humor comes through loud and clear and does exactly what it should do.

Pain and love are often inextricably intertwined; following Marcell's story is like reading any good memoir. Because it's told from the heart, we identify and learn and then learn some more.
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(Carolyn Howard-Johnson [author of] "Harkening"

Aiding Dominating, Difficult Seniors Suffering from Dementia
We have all read stories about the problems of families with verbally and physically abusive fathers. What happens when physical and mental ills cause these problems to get worse when the man gets older? Ms. Jacqueline Marcell writes a compelling (and usually harrowing) tale of her struggle to help both of her parents regain their health and ability to function. She clothes the obvious pain of the circumstances with humor that makes the message easier to absorb. At the end of the book, you will find many helpful suggestions for how to be an effective planner and implementer of good health support for elderly people.

Ms. Marcell's mother had a heart attack, and her domineering father insisted in taking care of everything. After 11 years, Ms. Marcell finds her mother on death's door due to the poor care her father has been providing and the home a pig sty. Despite severe personal problems (such as being in recovery from spinal surgery, losing her job, and ending a long-term relationship), she takes on the difficult and thankless task of getting her parents some help. Her father fights her at every turn, using both charm (when he's in his rational mind) and rage (when he's out of control) to get what he wants. Through a tough battle of over 9 months, she is able to find a winning formula and both parents start to improve. You can continue to read the saga of her parents on her web site.

You have to admire Ms. Marcell's courage, her persistence, and her intelligence. Health care providers did not believe that her father was violent, even after he tried to strangle her. In brief interviews, they found him to be charming and penitent (whenever he was caught in the act). Most things she tried didn't work, because he was a lot worse than anyone realized. Whatever his initial problems were with controlling his anger, they got worse as the arteries to his brain clogged. With lots of medical treatment, drugs, behavioral training, and a fantastic caregiver, miracles finally happened.

If either of your parents was physically or verbally abusive when younger, you should read this book. It is full of practical advice in the section at the end.

I graded the book down one star for an imbalance in the presentation. The first 270 pages are the case history of her experiences. As much as I sympathize with Ms. Marcell's horrible experience, this section needed to be shortened. The benefit you will get by reading it all is a sense of the despair that must fill the days of the child trying to help in such a circumstance. I do not begrudge Ms. Marcell writing so much though. It must have been therapy for her.

On the other hand, most readers will find what they need in pages 272 to the end. You certainly need to read enough of the first 270 pages to get a sense of what the problems are like, but unless you find it fascinating . . . feel free to skip forward. You will not be missing much that you need to know.

At the same time, the general material could have been made more detailed. That would have improved the book and made it more helpful. For example, there is about a half page on how to handle a senior who is feigning illness to avoid going to Senior Day Care. The section is fine, but it deals with the issue at a surface level. This material could easily have been expanded to 5-10 pages. How much effort should go into checking out the potential that the senior really does have an illness? Which potential illnesses should be ignored and which paid attention to?

Ms. Marcell obviously had substantial financial resources that she could throw into the fray. Most families will not be so well endowed. The advice section could have used much more direction for those who are more financially and time constrained than Ms. Marcell was.

Finally, I must say that my hat is off to Ms. Marcell. Her parents are indeed fortunate to have had her as a daughter. You will like her, and what she has to say. Give the book a try!

After you finish reading the book, think about where else character flaws will become greater as people age. I especially encourage you to think about this in terms of your spouse and yourself. A responsible parent would do best to solve these problems in advance, rather than waiting for a child to come along and rescue the situation after it is a mess. If you have any weaknesses that this book reminds you of, I suggest that you apply Life Strategies and Relationship Rescue to help you.

Remember that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That's an old saw, but this book once again establishes its validity.