Audun Myskja

The Heart Does Not Dement

Hjertet mitt har ikke demens

Most people know little about dementia and the subject is still partly characterized by taboos and shame, felt both by the dementing and their next of kin. In this book, Audun Myskja wants us all to learn more about what dementia is, how it affects those who have the condition and the needs of those who are dementing.

Myskja describes different forms of dementia, what the world looks like to the afflicted, what we can do to help and what kinds of treatments are available. He also writes warmly and intimately about how we can communicate with dementia patients through music and other sensory means. The heart remembers what the head forgets! He tells us what we can do to encourage the sufferer to feel joy, faith and hope and what we can do when the dementing person becomes anxious, depressed or restless. The book contains a whole array of practical examples of how to manage a warm, respectful approach to conversation with those who suffer from dementia.

The book is in the first place aimed at the next of kin, but is also relevant and very useful for healthcare staff.

Cappelen Damm 2013
225 Pages

So far sold to: Germany

Photo: John Nordahl

Dr Audun Myskja is a specialist in general medicine, an author, a researcher and a departmental head at the Centre for Life Support in Ski. He has a doctorate based on his use of music therapy as an aid in care of the elderly. Myskja has been the leader of several projects aimed at improving the treatment of dementia in which the emphasis was on the patient’s individual worth and resources.

PREVIOUS TITLES
Musikk og helse, 2006
Leve med kreft, 2005
Den musiske medisin,1999, 2003