Dr Jason Karlawish, co-director of the Penn Memory Center at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, US, has published a new book, called "The Problem of Alzheimer's: How Science, Culture, and Politics Turned a Rare Disease Into a Crisis and What We Can Do About It". The book takes us inside laboratories, the homes of people living with dementia, carers' support groups, progressive care communities, and Dr Karlawish's own practice at the Penn Memory Center.
Part case studies, part meditations on the past, present and future of the disease, the book looks at Alzheimer's disease (AD) from its beginnings to its recognition as a crisis. It gives an account of decades of missed opportunities and of health care system failures, all the while listing the biomedical breakthroughs that may allow AD to finally be prevented and treated. The author also discusses how to live with dementia and how people with dementia can reclaim their autonomy and redefine their sense of self, how families can support their loved ones, and the innovative reforms we can make as a society that would give carers and people with dementia a better quality of life. The book is available for purchase as of early 2021.