"Conversations with Ed" Offers First-Person Insight on Life with Alzheimer`s

New Book Provides Radically Different Perspective on the Most Common Form of
Dementia
SAN FRANCISCO--(Business Wire)--
A radically different perspective of Alzheimer`s disease, the most common form
of dementia, permeates the pages of a new book entitled "Conversations with Ed -
Waiting for Forgetfulness: Why Are We So Afraid of Alzheimer's Disease?" Written
by aging experts Dr. Nader Shabahangi and Dr. Patrick Fox, and Ed Voris, a
person with Alzheimer`s disease, the book looks at the progressive form of
dementia from the inside out, taking a different perspective than the current,
stereotypical viewpoint.

The new title, released by Elders Academy Press during Alzheimer`s Awareness
Month in November, takes an insightful, often humorous and always poignant look
at one man`s journey into forgetfulness--otherwise known as Alzheimer`s. "Since
Ed was diagnosed with dementia at age 73, he has learned to overcome his anger
and frustration about forgetfulness and discovered that he had been given a
unique gift to learn what is really important in life, and who his true friends
are," said Nader Shabahangi, PhD, author, expert on aging, and CEO of AgeSong
Senior Communities in San Francisco Bay Area.

For about six months, Ed talked with Dr. Shabahangi and Patrick Fox, PhD,
co-director of the Institute for Health & Aging (IHA), and professor of
sociology at University of California, San Francisco. What emerged from those
recorded sessions is an illuminating book that offers a unique perspective on
forgetfulness and those who live with it.

"Family and friends who read this book may be surprised and relieved to learn
that the attitude of the person with Alzheimer`s can be at odds with society`s
stereotypical, ingrained fear of this condition," added Shabahangi. With more
than five million people in the United States living with this expression of
dementia, co-authors hope that readers will pause and think about some of the
following questions and forgetfulness:

* Why are we so afraid of Alzheimer`s disease? What is the "gift" of
Alzheimer`s?
* How can we as families, societies, caregivers, change our attitudes in a way
that enhances the lives of our loved ones living with dementia?
* Why is a diagnosis of Alzheimer`s disease or dementia seen only as a medical
issue and why is support for behavioral therapy underfunded?
* How will Alzheimer`s fundamentally change our definition of "adult community"
in the coming decades?
* How can families be inclusive of those with Alzheimer`s in daily lives,
holiday celebrations, and family milestones?

"Until now, most Alzheimer`s books have focused on how to treat the disease,"
said Dr. Shabahangi. "`Conversations with Ed` rejects such a one-sided view of
forgetfulness and demystifies the condition by offering readers rare access to
Ed`s own experiences and perceptions."

Conversations with Ed (Elders Academy Press; October 2009) by Ed Voris, Nader
Shabahangi and Patrick Fox. Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9816248-1-5 / Retail Price
$19.50 / Hardcover ISBN: 978-09816248-0-8 / Retail Price $25.50 / Available on
www.Amazon.com or www.AgeSong.com.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6092014&lang=en

For AgeSong
Victoria Steiner, 510-635-4150
vsteiner@hardenpartners.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009