Regis Philbin
"I thought I knew Jacqueline until I read her book. Wow, what a story!"


Hugh Downs
"Jacqueline's story and style of writing will surely grab a large readership."


Dr. Dean Edell
"Jacqueline tackles that part of life that most think will never happen and shocks us out of our denial..."


AARP's BULLETIN, Cover Story, by Susan L. Crowley, April 2001.
"It's like fiction, or a made-for-TV movie, filled with despair and deception, then resolution and redemption--leavened by doses of humor."


Journal of Longevity , Dr. Paul Yutsis, MD, June, 2001
"Those of you with aging parents need to take stock of their situation so you can help them before it's too late. Jacqueline has shown you the way."


Kaiser Permanente Journal, Dr. Elliot S. Eisenberg, MD, Spring 2001
"A riveting story, punctuated by wit and humor. Not only for the lay public but for general physicians, psychologists, neurologists, and psychiatrists."


Ann Shields, Special to The Los Angeles Times , March 2001
"She stresses: when your loved one does something that strikes you as illogical or irrational--it is! That's when you should seek help."


Steve Allen
"A remarkable book... you deserve a great credit, congratulations!"


Modern Healthcare Magazine, Charles S. Lauer, Publisher, March 5, 2001
"Filled with practical advice. Marcell gives insights for anyone facing such tough decisions. We can learn a lot from her experience."


Book Description
A riveting, often humorous, non-fiction novel that chronicles Jacqueline Marcell's trials and tribulations, and eventual success at managing the care of her aging parents. Elder Rage is also an extensive self-help book with solutions for effective management, medically and behaviorally, of challenging elders who resist care. Includes answers to difficult "how to" questions like: getting obstinate elders to give up driving, accept a caregiver, see a different doctor, go to adult day care, move to a new residence--and includes a wealth of valuable resources, websites and recommended reading. The addendum by renowned dementia specialist, Rodman Shankle, MS MD: A Physician’s Guide to Treating Dementia, makes it valuable for everyone from the family to the physician. Elder Rage is required reading at several universities for graduate courses in geriatric assessment and management.


From the Publisher
If you’re caring for elderly loved ones and find the task daunting, then you're in the same position that Jacqueline Marcell found herself. She gave up her career as a television executive, went through 40 caregivers, and cried rivers for a year before she succeeded in solving the endless crisis, and teaches you how in this riveting bestseller. Delivered with a humorous tone to make a tough subject palatable, Marcell relates how she fought through an unsympathetic medical system and endured her "Jekyll & Hyde" father's physical and emotional wrath, until she finally found help for him and her ailing mother. What she didn't understand was that his deeply engrained life-long negative behavior pattern of screaming and yelling to get his way (though never at her before), was becoming intermittently distorted with the onset of dementia, namely--Alzheimer's. Marcell points out that not everyone becomes aggressive with dementia. She says her mother was sweet and lovely both before and after her Alzheimer's diagnosis, indicating that the disease can manifest itself in many ways. There are many types of dementia, Alzheimer's is just one type, and there is no stopping the progression nor is there yet a cure. Statistically families (and many doctors who are not dementia specialists) ignore early warning signs, because they incorrectly believe that these intermittently odd behaviors are just a normal part of aging and untreatable senility. Marcell says, "By the age of 65 one out of every ten persons has some form of dementia, and by the age of 85 one out of every two. Surprisingly, the fastest growing segment of our population is the 85+ group, and over 50 million Americans struggle to provide care for aging family members and friends." Marcell says her mission is to "spread the word about the importance of early diagnosis to the 77 million baby boomers who are so often in denial about eldercare until they are in a crisis." She wants everyone to know that with the proper treatment, dementia symptoms might be masked and slowed down by 2-5 years, keeping a person in Stage One longer, which is intermittent and mild. "Seeking help early can save families a lot of heartache and money, and save our society the burden of caring for so many elders who decline sooner than need be." The Alzheimer’s Association reports that by delaying the onset of AD for five years, we could save $50 billion in annual health care costs. Even a one-month delay in nursing home placement could save $1 billion a year. Marcell says, "It's really very simple: When your loved one does something that strikes you as illogical or irrational--it is! You don't need to be a Ph.D. to know something is wrong--you need an M.D. who can diagnose it and then treat it properly." Marcell credits the Alzheimer's Association for referring her to a geriatric dementia specialist who uncovered her father's early stage Alzheimer's disease. (His regular doctors missed it completely.) He prescribed medication to slow the dementia down and improve her father’s cognitive functioning (Aricept, Exelon or Reminyl), and then he treated the aggression, and the (often-present) depression. After balancing him with optimal nutrition, and vitamin therapies, Marcell implemented her own "Elder Behavior Modification 101", consisting of rewards & consequences (because his short-term memory was still quite good), and succeeded in turning around his bad behaviors--the majority of the time. When that didn’t work she used distraction, redirection, reminiscence and validation… but discovered that the offer of his favorite dessert usually worked the best to get him in the shower! The final key was getting herself into a support group, and getting both parents out of bed ("waiting to die") and enrolled in physical and emotional therapies at an Adult Day Health Care facility--which completely turned their lives around at 80 and 85. Marcell adds, "75% of dementia patients are being cared for at home, and sadly, elder abuse is rising dramatically because families are so unprepared for the frustrations of caregiving their elders, who are living longer than ever. She believes that with education and the use of Adult Day Care, elder abuse can be reduced. She is pleased that the National Center on Elder Abuse published a very favorable review of Elder Rage in their national newsletter. Marcell emphasizes, "Dementia costs American business over $61 billion a year--largely due (79%) to lost productivity and absenteeism of employees who must take time off to care for ailing loved ones. Everyone should know the ten early warning signs of dementia and the importance of seeking help sooner than later." She says she learned caregiving the hard way, which is why she wrote her first book, "so that no one would ever have to go through what I did." Determined to make a difference, she says her mission is to "get to Washington as quickly as possible and help change our eldercare laws." She laughs, "I have an ulterior motive--I don't have children, so I've got to help straighten things out before I get old!"


From the Author
Endorsed by: Hugh Downs, Regis Philbin, Steve Allen, Ed Asner, Jacqueline Bisset, Dr. Harold Bloomfield, John Bradshaw, Pam Dawber, Fred de Cordova, Phyllis Diller, Duke University Center for Aging, Jerry Dunphy, Ken Dychtwald, Dr. Dean Edell, Betty Friedan, Leeza Gibbons, Dr. John Gray, Mark Victor Hansen, Julie Harris, Senator Tom Hayden, Institute for Successful Aging, Johns Hopkins Memory Clinic, Dr. Irene Kassorla, Janet Leigh, Art Linkletter, Ed McMahon, Hayley Mills, Jane Powell, Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, Dr. Bernie Siegel, Dr. Nancy Snyderman/ABC News, Robert Stack, Dr. Eric Tangalos/Mayo Clinic, Dr. Rudy Tanzi/Harward Medical School, and the National Adult Day Services Association.


About the Author
Jacqueline Marcell is a former college professor and television executive, who after the experience of caring for her elderly parents became an author, publisher, radio host and national speaker--dedicated to eldercare awareness and reform. Her speaking career began when she replaced an ailing Maureen Reagan at the California Governor's Conference for Women, presenting a caregiving seminar with First Lady, Sharon Davis. She now speaks nationally to families and professionals (CEU’s & CME’s) about eldercare awareness and reform. Jacqueline has been featured in numerous publications including Prevention and Woman’s Day, but landing the cover story of AARP's Bulletin (circulation 22 million), put Elder Rage on the fast track to becoming a bestseller. Having been a frequent guest on hundreds of talk radio & television programs, including CNN & NBC, Jacqueline launched her own Internet radio program "Coping with Caregiving" heard worldwide.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Including an addendum by Dr. Rodman Shankle, founder of the UC Irvine Alzheimer's Center, A Physician's Guide To Treating Aggression In Dementia With the Proper Medications.

FROM THE CRITICS

Internet Book Watch

In Elder Rage: How To Survive Caring For Aging Parents, Jacqueline Marcell shares the story of her shocking discovery of how the lives of her elderly parents had deteriorated with the onset of her father's dementia and inability to continue to care for her ailing mother. Elder Rage is more than a personal memoir and eventual success story, it is also a revelation into one of today's rapidly burgeoning problems of elder care and what resources are available for caregivers in dealing with problems of their parent's senility, character disorders, and age-based health issues. Of special value is the addendum "A Physician's Guide To Treating Aggression In Dementia With The Proper Medications" by former Medical Director of the UC Irvine Alzheimer's Clinic, Rodman Shankle, M.D. Elder Rage is very highly recommended reading for anyone concerned about dealing with an aging parent's needs when impacted by dementia or Alzheimers.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

I thought I knew Jacqueline until I read her book. Wow, What a story! If you're caring for an elder, you won't believe how much this books will help you.  — Regis Philbin

A remarkable book! You have charted a relatively untrod field associated with the aging process. You deserve a great credit￯﾿ﾽcongratulations! — Steve Allen

Jacqueline's story and style of writing will surely grab a large readership. Studded with flashes of humor, it demonstrates the enormous resourcefulness and resilience of the human spirit. — Hugh Downs