By the year 2010, a staggering 34 million people worldwide will be affected by dementia. To receive a diagnosis of dementia can be a shattering experience, but, irrespective of the cause, appropriate, competent and knowledgeable management will enhance the lives of those affected. 'Early Stage Dementia' addresses the need for information by people involved with the early stages of dementia, starting with the first thoughts that something might be different, through to diagnosis, then dealing with the transitions through changes in lifestyle. Lorraine West moves beyond the clinical aspects of the disease and into the hearts and minds of people with dementia. She addresses the pertinent issues around diagnosis and what follows. She explains what dementia is, how people experience it, and examines in detail what can happen and what positive steps can be taken in the first five years following diagnosis. 'Early Stage Dementia' provides practical guidance to enable sufferers and their carers to develop alternative ways of coping with common situations, which can be both complex and idiosyncratic, and to regain a sense of mastery about both what has happened and what may be ahead. Throughout, Lorraine West draws on real-life experience and programmes that work well within communities.