Dementia reconsidered : the person comes first / Tom Kitwood.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 145-154) and indexes.

On being a person -- Dementia as a psychiatric category -- How personhood is undermined -- Personhood maintained -- The experiences of dementia -- Improving care: the next step forward -- The caring organization -- Requirements of a caregiver -- The task of cultural transformation.

Tom Kitwood breaks new ground in this book. Many of the older ideas about dementia are subjected to critical scrutiny and reappraisal, drawing on research evidence, logical analysis and the author's own experience. The unifying theme is the personhood of men and women who have dementia - an issue that was grossly neglected for many years both in psychiatry and care practice. Each chapter provides a definitive statement on a major topic related to dementia, for example: the nature of 'organic mental impairment', the experience of dementia, the agenda for care practice, and the transformation of the culture of care.

While recognizing the enormous difficulties of the present day, the book clearly demonstrates the possibility of a better life for people who have dementia, and comes to a cautiously optimistic conclusion. It will be of interest to all professionals involved in dementia care or provision, students on courses involving psychogeriatrics or social work with older people, and family carers of people with dementia.