DOCUMENT

Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative condition after dementia and about 500 people in New Zealand have Parkinson’s disease. Living and Caring is for people with Parkinson’s disease and the people who care for them. It draws on the personal experiences of over forty people living with Parkinson’s disease in the hope that sharing their journeys may help readers navigate theirs. This book has a unique perspective as one of the writers Ann Andrews had Parkinson’s disease. Living and Caring was her final book to be written as she passed away before it was published. The other writer Jennifer Dann interviewed the caregivers in this book. Jennifer is passionate about the work of unpaid caregivers having grown up seeing her Mum care for her severely intellectually disabled sister. Living and Caring is designed to be read once Parkinson’s disease has progressed to a point where the concept of ‘care’ needs to be considered in all its complexity. It offers readers the opportunity to share the experiences of both people with Parkinson’s disease and their family caregivers with a wide range of challenges, offering practical tips on how to continue living at home for as long as possible. By covering the care partnership from both sides of the caring coin, readers can understand things from each other’s perspectives and hopefully work together on solutions that work for each unique relationship and situation. Caregivers were interviewed separately from the people with Parkinson’s disease and their quotes are anonymous, so they could be totally frank about their feelings, struggles and insights. Because the progression of Parkinson’s disease varies so widely from person to person, the book is organised by subject so readers can dip into topics as they become relevant. Living and Caring: A guide for Carers and People with Parkinson's BY ANN ANDREWS AND JENNIFER DANN. SUPPORTED BY THE NEUROLOGICAL FOUNDATION. About the authors Ann Andrews interviewed people with Parkinson’s disease in the book. She worked as a writer, television and theatre producer, researcher and teacher before being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in her fifties. She wrote two books on the subject, Positively Parkinson’s and Grandma’s Brain and intended Living and Caring to be a final work in the trilogy. She was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal for her community work in 2013. Jennifer Dann interviewed the carers in the book. She is an award-winning journalist with more than 10 years’ experience in newspapers and radio. Living and Caring is available at Paper Plus, Whitcoulls and selected independent book sellers. RRP $39.99 Headlines 19