CRC DEMNTA PDF

Preface to the Third Edition

It is a pleasure to present the Third Edition of our textbook Dementia.We have found the success of the first and second edition very gratifying but were conscious of the need to justify the publication of a textbook of this size and scope in a field that is developing very rapidly. It is easy to imagine that such a potential dinosaur may quickly become outdated, will sit on shelves, be thought of affectionately but not be of much practical use to anyone.

However, we became convinced by a number of people, fuelled by our own determination, that we could not let a brand name die, and that a third edition was not only possible but might actually be appreciated by some people.

It is trite to say that the field has moved on since the last edition – of course it has. This is not just in the usual areas where one would expect it, i.e. basic science and treatment, but also, reassuringly in areas such as service development and carer research.

We have kept the format as it was because it seems to work, but have introduced briefer overviews of services in areas throughout the world.

We owe a great thanks to the contributors who, in the main, have kept to time – we know and they know who they are! The publishers at Hodder Arnold, particularly Layla Vandenbergh, have been helpful and we are grateful to Ed Chiu for such a generous foreword.Most of all, our secretaries, Norma Welsh in Newcastle,Marilyn Kemp in Melbourne and particularly Barbara Dignan in Manchester, deserve the biggest thanks. Without their dedication the project would not have been completed.