The Caregiver (Culture and Politics of Health Care Work)

In this thoughtful and honest memoir, Alterra effectively impresses on the reader that the 'primary physician' is not the doctor but the caregiver who lives with the patient. -Publishers Weekly

A husband's unsentimental but deeply loving memoir of caring for his wife, a talented concert cellist. -Kirkus Reviews

Alterra is the pseudonym of a prolific and award-winning short story writer and novelist. . . . Alterra's book will strike a chord with anyone who has a family member with Alzheimer's: the search for understanding, the hallucinations, mood changes, loss of mental and physical functioning, and unpredictable nature of the disease. -Library Journal

The book is so well written that you might find yourself reading it as a story rather than as an autobiographical account. The book also shares a simple message: that carers are people too and that their lives are also significantly compromised and overshadowed by dementia. It is a powerful voice that deserves to be head-and a power book that deserve to be read. -Ageing and Society

A touchingly exact and superbly composed account written by a real writer. This is the best and most expert book on Alzheimer's that I have read and it should be closely studied by every caregiver. -John Bayley, author of Iris: A Memoir of Iris Murdoch

The Caregiver is one of the few examples of the lived experience of Alzheimer's disease from the perspective of a loving, reflective, and articulate husband. Aaron Alterra paints a beautiful and honest picture of how Alzheimer's disease changed one family's world, a literate world full of life, music, art, and words. His story will touch physicians, nurses, social workers, physical therapists, psychologists, and healers of all sorts who struggle to assist families in their journey with this disease. -Patricia G. Archbold, Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Scholars Program, American Academy of Nursing