A healthcare worker recounts her eye-opening experience caring for her mother with Alzheimer’s—and the innovative communication method she discovered.
Our society is buckling under the demands of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia care, but public health professional Laura Anthony discovered an innovative new approach to communicating with dementia sufferers. In The Most Important Lesson, Anthony brings you on her real-life journey as she cares for her mother suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Her caregiving responsibilities left her worn out, confused, and angry—until one day when her mother accidentally provided a revealing insight. That seemingly simple moment opened a world of infinite possibilities, and as Anthony altered her approach to communicating with her mother, peace, love, and respect returned to their relationship.
The Most Important Lesson provides the framework for caregivers and families to communicate more effectively with Alzheimer’s and dementia sufferers, creating a legacy with their loved one and finding comfort and support in the process.
Laura Anthony is a public health professional with more than twenty-five years’ experience in the hospital and home health arena working closely with patients, caregivers, social workers, and physicians. She received her master’s of public health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1988 and since that time has focused on improving the quality of care for patients and their families. Nothing opened her eyes more than her own real-life experience of caring for her mother with Alzheimer's disease. Her personal journey has been life changing and a tremendous source of strength for others dealing with the disease.