Product Description

Your Name Is Hughes Hannibal Shanks is Lela Knox Shanks's personal account of caring for her husband, Hughes, in their home after he was stricken with Alzheimer's disease. Lela describes her initial denial, her discovery of coping skills, her eventual acceptance of his illness, and her ultimate recognition that the key to successful caregiving lies in never losing sight of the patient's humanness. The book outlines twenty coping and survival strategies to guide caregivers to untapped inner resources and shows caregiving's intangible rewards of increased self-respect and self-knowledge. Lela Knox Shanks is an independent scholar and lecturer living in Lincoln, Nebraska. She and Hughes were married for fifty years and have four children. Hughes Hannibal Shanks worked for the federal government for thirty years and was the first African American hired by the Denver Social Security Administration office in the 1950s. This edition includes an epilogue by Lela. Steven H. Zarit is a professor of human development at Pennsylvania State University. He is also the coauthor of The Hidden Victims of Alzheimer's Disease: Families under Stress.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #610051 in Books
• Published on: 2005-04-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 195 pages

From Publishers Weekly
In August 1984, Lela Knox Shanks saw the first sign that her life and that of her husband would change forever. "Hughes was driving, and suddenly he called me Nena, our older daughter's name... he continued to repeat the mistake.... And then he said, 'How are the kids doing in the back seat?'" As their children were all grown, she knew something was wrong. Shanks had shown the first sign of Alzheimer's: "Irreversible and deadly, it is the fourth leading cause of death in adults in the United States today," Shanks explains in her introduction. Experts frequently recommend placement in a nursing home, but Shanks rejected that idea, in part strengthened by the knowledge that she had already cared for her parents, who died of cancer. With very little information about the disease, she set out on her own, learning as she went how to care for an Alzheimer's patient at home. Shanks tells exactly what it is like to live with Alzheimer's, and how to have a life in the process. She provides an overview of how the disease progresses, tells what to expect and suggests ways to cope. Hughes Shanks had spent 30 years working for the federal government and was the first African American hired by his Social Security Administration office in the 1950s. For his wife, the key became to remember his courage and pride and to continue to see her husband, no matter how diminished in capacity, as a human being in need of her love and care. Shanks is a remarkably strong woman, and her choice might not be right for everyone, but all can learn from her experience.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
This beautifully crafted book depicts the joys and sorrows of caring for a relative diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Using her own experience of caring for her husband as an example, Shanks provides accurate information regarding issues faced by Alzheimer's patients such as adult day care, medical costs, insurance, and the like. She also suggests ways of dealing with specific problem behaviors (violence, incontinence), tips on caring for the patient's physical comfort, and recommendations on how to ensure structure and routine for the patient. A unique chapter devoted to the stress of caregiving offers advice for both body and soul, such as meditation, the appreciation of small joys, and the use of emotional detachment. Essential for all caregivers looking for a creative approach to helping Alzheimer's patients live their lives fully; for public and medical libraries.?Linda D. Malone, Walter Reed Hospice, Gloucester, Va.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"Shanks tells exactly what it is like to live with Alzheimer's, and how to have a life in the process."-Publishers Weekly (Publishers Weekly )

"This beautifully crafted book depicts the joys and sorrows of caring for a relative diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Essential for all caregivers looking for a creative approach to helping Alzheimer's patients live their lives fully."-Library Journal (Library Journal )

"It is an immensely moving, yet practical, book, particularly for anyone faced with the challenge of caring for a loved one with a terminal illness."-Better Nutrition (Better Nutrition )

Customer Reviews

I am one of Lela Shanks grandaughters.
I strongly encourage anyone facing any type of involvement with an Alzheimer's patient to read this book. Anyone who knows the author could tell you that she is the type of person who is honest and straightforward. This book is a mirror image of her personality. There are practical solutions to the day to day trials of dealing with an Alzheimer's patient as well as an overwhelming sense of love and acceptance for the entire situation. The book also deals with the importance of support for caregivers. The best thing you can do to support yourself or anyone involved with an Alzheimer's patient is to love them. The second best thing you can do is to educate everyone involved. Start with this book and it will open your eyes and your heart in ways you never thought possible.

Best book I've found for my caregiver father
Lela Shank's account of her coping with her husband's Alzheimer's disease is an intensively personal, yet practical guide for caregivers. I have been screening these books for my father, who is my mother's caregiver, and feel that this is the most useful guide, along with "The 36-hour Day."

Essential Caregiver Guide to Alzheimer's
I received this book as a gift from a long-time friend about a year after my Father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. This book made me laugh, cry and get angry, but most of all it became a companion during the long, hard care of my Father. Mrs. Shanks gives the patient and caregiver humanity. She includes tips for care and really lets the caregiver know what to expect in dealing with this terrible disease. Of all the books I have read dealing with Alzheimer's this is clearly the best!