Mary Ellen Geist left her broadcasting career to help her mother care for her father affected with Alzheimers disease. Beautifully written, this work gives a personal perspective on The 36 hour day, a classic on Alheimers care. While not avoiding the frustrations,the author focuses on the connections and joys of caregiving, the day to day working with what her father is now, and the memory of what he once was. ( )

A beautifully written book outlining the author's return home to help her mother take care of her father who is suffering from Alzheimers. While Geist loves her father and learns much about life and herself through being a caregiver, she also paints a realistic picture of the trials and strains involved in the process. As more of us find ourselves in the role of caregiver, this book will provide support as well as encouragement. ( )

October 2008 was my first time to make a request as a new Early Reviewer. I applied for quite a few because I didn't really expect to be picked and so many books interested me. However, when I did receive this particular book I was shocked. I thought I had avoided requesting it because it was about a daughter whose parent had Alzheimer's and I just didn't think I could handle the subject. You see, my mother had been diagnosed about eight months before and I wasn't ready to know "how the story ends."
So it took me about two months to make myself pick up "Measure of the Heart" and start reading it. The only reason I did was because I was obligated to write a review since I had received the book for free through the Early Book Reviewers. I am so thankful for taking that step.
Mary Ellen Geist is a very brave woman who left a high profile, well paying career to go home to be with her over-burdened mother and to spend the time she had left with her father who had Alzheimer's. What an incredible inspiration she is to anyone who has a family member with the challenge of this overwhelming disease. She writes in such a gentle," sisterly" manner as she openly shares her emotional ups and downs that you feel like you could call her and cry on her shoulder if you needed to. But the one thing she does not do is whine or play the martyr. She just tells it like it is and shares some very intimate moments along with some unique and cherished ones. What you are left with is a feeling that you were very blessed to have been allowed to enter the privacy of her family as they struggle, love, fight off the craziness, laugh, cry, love some more, and try to make every moment count. Thank you Mary Ellen for sharing with us in this intimate way through your book. ( )

Hope. Grief. Frustration. Exhaustion. Delight. Denial. Mary Ellen Geist touches on all these emotions and many more in her account of dealing with her father's struggle with Alzheimer's disease. She put her career and life on hold and returned to her childhood home in Michigan to help her parents. In the Foreword Dr. Oliver Sacks points out that Geist “has written eloquently of a whole family living with dementia.” This is indeed the whole family's story. Geist gently guides readers into the labyrinth of daily life in the household.

The book is emotional but also full of information. Stories of other caregivers are woven into the narrative. Facts and figures about the disease and caregivers (71% are women) are provided. Particular attention is devoted to caregivers. All too often caregivers take on too much and compromise their own health.

One chapter that surprised me was about the hospital experience. Geist's father (Woody) was admitted for orthopedic surgery, a double knee replacement. He was in the hospital for two weeks. The hospital personnel were not prepared to deal with a Alzheimer's patient; I was shocked. This chapter, “Hospital Hell and Healing,” should be read by any caregiver who will have an Alzheimer's patient in the hospital. Geist offers a list of suggestions that will be helpful.

Despite a cascading loss of mental acuity, Woody never lost his musical abilities. He remembered the words and melodies to songs learned long ago. Music remained in tact in Woody's brain. As Sacks notes, “he seemed to be completely present, to come together and bypass his dementia (though as soon as the singing ended, the dementia was evident again).”

Anyone caring for a person with dementia will find information and validation in this book. There are resources listed and a bibliography. Most importantly Geist brings her journalist's instincts to bear on this incredibly difficult and stressful situation. She honestly discusses personal difficulties and offers concrete suggestions for coping. ( )

This is a very sweet story about a father that has alzheimer's and his daughter that moves back home to help her mother care for her father. I believe that it would be a good book for someone that is caring for a person that has the disease. She gives a lot of very good information. I would have enjoyed the book more had it only been about the relationship with her father and not had all the other info in it. I don't want to take away from her story because it is a nice read but I just didn't enjoy the details about the alzheimer's. ( )