Articles

This is the second in a series of book reviews from Kristen Phillips. Reading about other people’s experiences helped Kristen emotionally and practically around her father’s illness. Her hope is that these reviews will raise awareness of the ever-increasing number of books (fiction and non-fiction) available to support and educate those of us affected by dementia.

Contented Dementia
(Vermilion, Random House, 2009)
Oliver James
286 pages

‘Today, I know that the disability created by dementia does not have to be hellish, that it truly is possible to create well-being for the rest of the person’s life.’
(Introduction p1)

The quizmaster, Barry Prince (83) is aware of the irony of asking quiz questions of the AD community, when many of them suffer from memory problems, but explains: “My family member suffering from AD has wonderful memories about life in the 20th century, but struggles to recall what happened in the big netball tournament last week. Accordingly, I have selected quick quizzes from the archive that are focused on people and events before the new millennium.”
 
Each of the Quick Quizzes is confined to 10 questions a single subject – pop music, films, celebrities, history, and geography, for example. There aren’t any questions about politics or science – Barry says anyone who missed Chemistry and Physics at college won’t be handicapped! Most of the questions are about things that happened in the 20th century.

The Quizmaster, Barry Prince (83) is aware of the irony of asking quiz questions of the AD community, when many of them suffer from memory problems, but explains: “My family member suffering from AD has wonderful memories about life in the 20th century, but struggles to recall what happened in the big netball tournament last week. Accordingly, I have selected quick quizzes from the archive that are focused on people and events before the new millennium.”
 
Each of the Quick Quizzes is confined to 10 questions a single subject – pop music, films, celebrities, history, and geography, for example. There aren’t any questions about politics or science – Barry says anyone who missed Chemistry and Physics at college won’t be handicapped. Most of the questions are about things that happened in the 20th century.

The Quizmaster, Barry Prince (83) is aware of the irony of asking quiz questions of the AD community, when many of them suffer from memory problems, but explains: “My family member suffering from AD has wonderful memories about life in the 20th century, but struggles to recall what happened in the big netball tournament last week. Accordingly, I have selected quick quizzes from the archive that are focused on people and events before the new millennium.”
 
Each of the Quick Quizzes is confined to 10 questions a single subject – pop music, films, celebrities, history, and geography, for example. There aren’t any questions about politics or science – Barry says anyone who missed Chemistry and Physics at college won’t be handicapped. Most of the questions are about things that happened in the 20th century.