Dementia Reconsidered: the Person Comes First

Tom Kitwood

Open University Press, £14.95, pp 176

ISBN 0335198554

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The burden of dementia is borne not only by people with dementia, but by their carers, both informal and professional. The major direct financial costs are managed by the welfare sector, through the provision of community services and residential care, whereas indirect costs are largely attributed to informal carers. Advances in care practices would be of considerable benefit. The health sector has had its main impact in the area of dementia by providing skills and expertise necessary for comprehensive, holistic assessments. Kitwood challenges this medical model, which he labels as …