Mastering Approaches to Diversity in Social Work.

Linda Gast and Anne Patmore. 2012.
London: Jessica Kingsley.

Reviewed by Malcolm Wallis, DementiaSA

This book is part of a series (Mastering Social Work Skills). It has little to say about dementia which does not even merit a listing in the index. But it addresses an important concern: how should social workers cope with the diversity they encounter in the environment where they exercise their skills and carry the burden of heavy responsibilities. The book is largely based on the UK but the issues discussed are not totally at odds with the South African situation. For example, the authors see ethnicity as a major factor in many settings. As such it cannot be ignored either in theory or practice. However, we must avoid assuming that ethnicity is the sole form of diversity. Gender, sexual preference and disability, for example, cannot be left on one side. The book draws on important research conducted in a number of countries. The major contribution of Hofstede who wrote extensively on culture is given particular attention.

What I found particularly valuable is the authors’ device of posing key questions (‘points to consider’) for readers to discuss and reflect upon. There are also many case studies based on experience which struck me as likely to interest readers. For example, there are case studies about disabled service users and writing reports on difficulties experienced in families. This approach makes for a substantially more inter active text, an approach that might be usefully adopted for study in a number of fields.

Despite the absence of dementia as a topic, the book may be useful in social work, a field of endeavour which very often requires an understanding of diversity, an important aspect of which is dementia.

The book is obtainable from DementiaSA. It is priced at 280.00

The 36- Hour Day.

Nancy L Mace and Peter V. Rabins. 2012.
New York: Grand Central.

Reviewed by Malcolm Wallis, DementiaSA

This book has much to commend it. Originally published in the USA in the 1980s, it has been updated to ensure its continuing relevance. The aim of the authors is to provide what they describe as a ‘family guide’ for those faced with the task of caring for people living with dementias with some emphasis on Alzheimer’s but not exclusively so; substantial reference is made to other dementias. In fact, it is a very detailed account of what dementia is and the roles are played by carers in supporting people suffering from the condition. In a sense it is much more than a guide as it has been highly valued by others whose interest is in understanding dementia for other reasons. For example, it is the kind of book that could greatly help researchers in fields such as general practice, public health, social work and ageing. The last of these examples needs some explanation. Although there are many cases affecting people younger than 60, the vast majority people living with dementia are over that age.

A word is needed about the title. The authors are not trying to revolutionise time by dispensing with the 24 hour clock but they are signalling by using the term 36 hour day the tough nature of the carers’ work which so often is a major test of stamina and stress thresholds, usually with little by way of financial compensation.

There are nineteen chapters plus two appendices (on the use of the internet and on organizations). It is over 600 pages in length so it is not the kind of book that might be read from cover to cover. The present reviewer, I have to confess, opted to read it selectively using the excellent index to see what is said about particular issues. It is best seen as a reference book. It starts with explaining what dementia is, then proceeds to deal with such topics as getting medical help, behaviour, independent living, ‘daily care’ (e.g. hygiene), medical problems such as pain and dizziness, death, getting outside help, the ways carers are themselves affected, family life, financial and legal matters, nursing homes, life style factors which may prevent dementia, related conditions such as head trauma and research. This is a long list but I have included it in this review because it shows that this is a comprehensive guide to the disease. The book also has the merit of being written using plain words where possible to maximise the likelihood of readers being able to understand it. The only reservation I have is that because it is written for an American readershp its usefulness is limited where reference is made to institutional issues such as medical aid and state interventions which are mostly irrelevant to the South Africa case.

The book is strongly recommended as it is a readable and thorough account of Alzheimer’s and related conditions.

The book is available from DementiaSA. The price is R200.

Z. Alzheimer’s-A Shared Journey.

Bernard Gosschalk. 2009.
London: Jessica Kingsley.

Reviewed by Malcolm Wallis, DementiaSA

This short book is the author’s account of dementia. The ‘Z’ of the title refers to Zelda, his late wife, who died after living with dementia for many years. He also makes reference to his earlier marriage to Ruth who also predeceased him. The author seeks to give a very personal account of this highly difficult experience.

What makes the book different is that it tells a South African story. The author was born in this country but spent much of his life as an academic teaching Architecture at the University of Manchester. However, he spent a lot of time in South Africa where Zelda came from and where she died. This experience means that the book can be more meaningful to South Africans than are other accounts which lack that context. This duality of national experiences has other benefits. In particular, he is not impressed by the performance of the UK National Health Service and other organs of state; he is able to narrate in some detail the bureaucratic morass he encountered. In South Africa, the absence of a national service opens the way for the private sector but only for those who can afford it. There are perhaps some lessons for South Africa in this book, particularly since we have been debating for ten years how best to find a more equitable and effective system through National Health Insurance. I took from my reading of this book that it is important to strive for a more user friendly system than that of the UK which, however, needs to be affordable for both the state and people living with dementia, carers and family.

The book has other merits which can be noted. One is that the story, although briefly told, is infused with Gosschalk’s experience of life in both countries. He gives fond accounts of attending concerts at Manchester’s Free Trade Hall where as a student I saw the Rolling Stones. The author’s tastes are somewhat more highbrow than that. He also has well expressed affection for the beauty of Cape Town and the pleasures of living there.

It might sound like a sad book which on one level it is but it is not gloomy: what comes through strongly is a story of lives well lived despite the tragedies the author endured.

This book is obtainable from DementiaSA. Priced at R95.00

Malcolm Wallis was born in 1945 in Hertfordshire in the UK. His education was partly in that country, including a doctorate from Manchester University. However, most of his primary and high school studies took place in Kenya where his father was employed as a Post Office official.

He has mainly worked in different countries in Africa. He came to South Africa in 1992 where he worked for the former University of Durban-Westville (now part of KwaZulu Natal) as Head of Public Administration. He later became Executive Dean of Management Sciences at the Durban University of Technology. Since retirement from full time employment he has continued to work in various different capacities. His academic work over the years has included developing and teaching in the field of Health Management both in the UK (Birmingham university) and South Africa (the University of KwaZulu Natal).

He became interested in Dementia when his mother was diagnosed with the condition in 2008. She passed away in 2017. When he came to live in Cape Town he was invited to work for DementiaSA as a volunteer where his role is to help build improved awareness of Dementia.