What is dementia? Many of us live in fear of it, imagining the horror of losing our memories and our identities. But it does not need to terrify us. A good life can be lived with dementia. In this marvellously informative book, Rose Capp, aged-care specialist and educator, policy advisor and choir-director, tells us how. She shows us how to see the world from the perspectives of people living with dementia.

She reveals the importance of loving engagement, of finding the right words and the best forms of communication.

And she discusses how popular culture can help our understanding of dementia. Through her choir, we witness the extraordinary power of music to transform lives.

Whether dementia affects your loved ones, your friends or people you are caring for, this is an essential book to guide you in taking the mystery out of this condition.

Rose Capp has worked as an academic and film critic, has lectured and published in cinema studies, and is a longstanding executive member of the Film Critics Circle of Australia. As a registered nurse and dementia-care educator in the residential aged-care sector, she developed a special interest in and commitment to best practice dementia care. Rose works as a policy advisor at Dementia Australia and teaches in ageing and dementia studies at Flinders University. She lives in Melbourne.

‘This excellent book will be invaluable for everyone seeking to support the identity, independence and wellbeing of people living with dementia.’ Ita Buttrose AC OBE