With nearly 7 million Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, there has been a lot of discussion about the best ways to serve elderly parents suffering from the condition. But the author’s family’s experiences have made her think long and hard about what will happen to her when and if she will find myself living as her father did – until recently.
The author felt helpless witnessing her dad’s devolution from happy warrior to hapless prisoner, trapped in a failing body that kept him alive well after his mind could find pleasure in anything. She said Alzheimer’s runs in her father’s family, and the risk of developing it increases with age. She is 67, so his recent past could be her not-that-distant future.
