Goodnight, Sweet - by Leah Stanley (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Caring for Loved Ones with Alzheimer's and Dementia

She was twenty-nine years old. She had been married a mere eight months. Suddenly her precious grandparents needed her help. Equipped only with the documents provided by their lawyer, Leah Stanley navigated Medicare and Medicaid in the dark of ignorance, working her way along the tangled path of providing care for her Grandma and Grandpa who were suffering with Alzheimer's and an unspecified form of dementia, respectively.
In Goodnight, Sweet, Leah explores the world of elder care where she found that making the right decision on behalf of someone else was not always an obvious choice, and along the way she discovered that not every family member shared her vision of loving the people who needed care but were instead dazzled by the notion of inheritance. At times she was able to stand on nothing more than faith in Jesus Christ, but Leah moved through one difficult day after another, until finally she was able to look back and realize that Jesus had stayed exactly where He said He would--carrying her through the dark waters so that she could survive the indescribable world of a caregiver.

"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." (Psalm 119:105)

Review Quotes

"What a wonderful, articulate account of the realities of being an Alzheimer's/dementia caregiver. The author beautifully expresses the difficult emotions and physical and spiritual challenges 'caring' for loved ones presents. As a previous professional caregiver with ten years of experience, I was touched not only by her relationship with her grandparents but also her relationship with the Lord and how this influenced the way she cared for her grandparents, showed grace to ruthless relatives, and grieved and found joy throughout the journey. I highly recommend this book for those anywhere on the path of caring for aged loved ones, as it honestly depicts the multifaceted experience of Alzheimer's/dementia caregiving."

--Julie Todd, MSSW, Former Professional Caregiver

"Goodnight, Sweet is a beautiful recounting of a young woman's struggle to provide care for her ailing grandparents. It is a message of hope in the midst of despair as Alzheimer's disease and dementia steal her beloved grandparents away, and it shows her struggle to come to terms with the heartbreaking circumstances she now finds herself in. Nevertheless, she relies on her faith in God to carry her through. It is a truly inspiring read and a great help for those who are going through the heartbreak of caring for loved ones who are slipping away."

--Julie Garner, Former Caregiver