model and the social model and emphasizes the emotions, social context and sense of identity of the person with dementia. It focuses on the potential of carers to support sufferers' own understanding of the process they are engaging in. The penultimate part of the book shows how this model can be applied to improve the quality of assessments of dementia, and suggests ways of adapting therapeutic intervention (in individual and group counseling, psychotherapy, staff training, and work with carers) to meet the specific needs of this group. In conclusion, the authors draw out implications for' service delivery and future policy and practice developments. Understanding Dementia provides a powerful integrated and holistic model of dementia which will enable professionals, policy makers and academics to improve the quality of care for dementia sufferers.