Overview

"This book is a guide to help people living with dementia (and their families) make good choices about the end of life. The quality of life in the late stages of Alzheimer's and other dementias can be greatly diminished by many factors. The concept of ""pain and suffering"" during these stages is not well understood and often not acknowledged by family or other caregivers. Only 11% of people with dementia currently receive hospice care at the end of life. Why? Because hospice requires that the individual be mentally competent to initiate the process (which is not possible) or for family members to initiate it (which most are reluctant to do). Options for an assisted death, even when legal, are still more limited. Yet, when asked, in the early stages of dementia, as part of the process of creating medical directives, many people would choose the option of an assisted death (if available) versus continuing to live --- if they were in a vegetative state or other condition where mental functioning is extremely limited and family or friends are no longer recognized. The RED BUTTON discusses the options associated with hospice and assisted death for people with dementia and also how they might communicate, even in the late stages, their degree of pain and suffering to caregivers. Creating good choices at the end of life depends on two things: 1) Making key decisions through medical directives and conversations with loved ones in the EARLY stages of dementia; and, 2) Defining personal boundaries for the quality of life in the later stages of dementia. The RED BUTTON suggests some guidelines here that are commonly used to measure life quality for the elderly in hospitals, homes and other settings. Hidden behind the mask of dementia-related behaviors and the inability to communicate, is an anguished cry for help as options for meaningful living disappear. The RED BUTTON is a tiny step in the direction of giving this population a voice."

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9780989460026

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Reviews

"This powerful book speaks to an issue I have struggled with ever since my Alzheimer's diagnosis. I experience a kind of pain and suffering that no one seems to understand. Living with Alzheimer's, my fear is that at the end of life I will be helpless, suffering, and unable to die with dignity. The Red Button gave me the power and knowledge to make good choices now and later. Brian LeBlanc (living with Alzheimer's since 2014) National and International Alzheimer's Advisory Board Member It's a Wonderful Life is one of my favorite movies. How sad to live that life and yet, because of the stigma and misunderstanding associated with dementia, endure the opposite when dying. This wonderful book is brave enough and compassionate enough to offer options for people with dementia to experience a more dignified death. Michael Belleville (living with dementia since 2013) Board Member, MA/NH Alzheimer's Association / Technology The Red Button is of utmost importance for anyone living with a dementia diagnosis or caring for someone with one. End-of-life decisions are very controversial but must be faced, especially by anyone with a diagnosis of dementia. I watched my father, an Alzheimer's victim, lose every shred of dignity as the disease progressed. I choose to die with dignity. Paulan Gordon (Living with Vascular Dementia) Author: Vascular Dementia: An Inside Perspective / Board Member, Dementia Action Alliance Over 50 million people in the world have dementia. With only 10% receiving hospice, most live for years with poor life quality and then die without dignity. This is a problem we have chosen to avoid. THE RED BUTTON offers a compelling case for planning to reduce pain & suffering at the end-of-life. A must-read for all concerned!! Jackie Pinkowitz, M.Ed. Board Chair, Dementia Action Alliance While the concept of a ""good death"" is widely accepted in society, within the community of people living with dementia, it is largely absent. Here, choices that can lead to a timely and dignified death are rare. In his new book, Richard Fenker addresses the challenging issue of creating good choices at the end of life for people with dementia and other disorders that impact thinking. Karen Love CEO, Dementia Action Alliance This important book addresses a problem I deal with every day in my work as a counselor for people living with dementia and their families: how to overcome the fear of ending life in a helpless, painful, and undignified manner. Dr. Fenker's ""Red Button"" program and its recommendations are certain to bring relief to a lot of families and caregivers. Thank you, Dr. Fenker, for making the process more transparent and much easier for everyone to understand and implement. Jytte Lokvig, PhD Alzheimer's & Dementia Counselor and Educator / Author, Alzheimer's A to Z (and five other related books)"

This powerful book speaks to an issue I have struggled with ever since my Alzheimer's diagnosis. I experience a kind of pain and suffering that no one seems to understand. Living with Alzheimer's, my fear is that at the end of life I will be helpless, suffering, and unable to die with dignity. The Red Button gave me the power and knowledge to make good choices now and later. Brian LeBlanc (living with Alzheimer's since 2014) National and International Alzheimer's Advisory Board Member It's a Wonderful Life is one of my favorite movies. How sad to live that life and yet, because of the stigma and misunderstanding associated with dementia, endure the opposite when dying. This wonderful book is brave enough and compassionate enough to offer options for people with dementia to experience a more dignified death. Michael Belleville (living with dementia since 2013) Board Member, MA/NH Alzheimer's Association / Technology The Red Button is of utmost importance for anyone living with a dementia diagnosis or caring for someone with one. End-of-life decisions are very controversial but must be faced, especially by anyone with a diagnosis of dementia. I watched my father, an Alzheimer's victim, lose every shred of dignity as the disease progressed. I choose to die with dignity. Paulan Gordon (Living with Vascular Dementia) Author: Vascular Dementia: An Inside Perspective / Board Member, Dementia Action Alliance Over 50 million people in the world have dementia. With only 10% receiving hospice, most live for years with poor life quality and then die without dignity. This is a problem we have chosen to avoid. THE RED BUTTON offers a compelling case for planning to reduce pain & suffering at the end-of-life. A must-read for all concerned!! Jackie Pinkowitz, M.Ed. Board Chair, Dementia Action Alliance While the concept of a good death is widely accepted in society, within the community of people living with dementia, it is largely absent. Here, choices that can lead to a timely and dignified death are rare. In his new book, Richard Fenker addresses the challenging issue of creating good choices at the end of life for people with dementia and other disorders that impact thinking. Karen Love CEO, Dementia Action Alliance This important book addresses a problem I deal with every day in my work as a counselor for people living with dementia and their families: how to overcome the fear of ending life in a helpless, painful, and undignified manner. Dr. Fenker's Red Button program and its recommendations are certain to bring relief to a lot of families and caregivers. Thank you, Dr. Fenker, for making the process more transparent and much easier for everyone to understand and implement. Jytte Lokvig, PhD Alzheimer's & Dementia Counselor and Educator / Author, Alzheimer's A to Z (and five other related books)

Author Information

Richard Fenker is an Emeritus Professor of Psychology at TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, landscape photographer, inventor and designer of complex forecasting systems. He has authored a dozen books on learning, forecasting, human consciousness and Alzheimer's. The Red Button is his third book on dementia where he is also the inventor of the The Alzheimer's Communication Cards and the MindPartner Program. He is currently a member of the Dementia Action Alliance where he serves on the Technology Workgroup.

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