You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
This is among my most painful reads of the year. A heart-wrenching account of how Sandeep Jauhar, his brother and sister try their best to cope with their dad’s descent into Alzheimer’s.
Sandeep Jauhar is a cardiologist, and so is his brother Rajiv. Their dad is a proficient plant geneticist who has contributed significantly to research with several publications to his credit. He migrated from India to the US, doing well in his profession largely, though he has had a few professional grudges. Since Sandeep & Rajiv practice in New York, they get their parents to move closer to them in Long Island in 2014. Sandeep’s mother is diagnosed with Parkinson’s first, and gradually her movements become limited. They also notice that their dad is getting to be forgetful and realize he has Alzheimer’s. They find there is very little they can do as the symptoms become progressively worse. Sandeep’s mother passes away first and this seems to accelerate his dad’s deterioration. The brothers and their sister Suneeta try to maintain their dad’s independence by appointing a help Harwinder who will stay with him most of the time. Sandeep does wonder if the individualistic culture in the US (as opposed to the more family social culture in India – though that is also changing) coupled with the tragedy of his mother’s demise accelerated his dad’s progression. There is evidence that loneliness is generally a setback for mental illness. In a few years the symptoms are quite severe, though he does recognise his children right till the end (though in one instance he blurts that Sandeep is probably a nephew). The sons try to keep their dad engaged with walks, drives and lunch/dinner outings to places he liked such as the ‘House of Dosas’. By 2021, there is nothing more they can do.
The book is largely about how the family tried to cope with their parents’ illnesses, and makes for very painful reading. Despite being in the medical profession, the brothers realize there is no worthwhile cure to reverse the disease once it sets in, and find themselves lost on what to do. Sandeep visits a community setup in Netherlands specifically for people with dementia. As the incidences of Alzheimer’s are spiralling, possibly more such facilities will become common. There is a lot of frustration as their dad gets more forgetful, confused and increasingly disoriented. They debate whether assisted living would be better but conclude that would be tough as well, and their dad would most likely resist it strongly. There is some brief background material around the disease and treatment options recommended generally.
The tone is very frank, the descriptions detailed, and toll the disease takes on everybody including near and dear ones really hits you.
While the search for a pill to cure the disease has so far not met with much success, I recommend the book “The End of Alzheimer’s” by Dale Bredesen, which has a lot of sensible advice on lifestyle, diet and supplements.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and the author for a free electronic review copy.