Q. I recently heard that Sandra Day O’Connor, the first female Supreme Court Justice, announced that she has Alzheimer’s disease. Her son explained how she overcame so many
obstacles in her life that she was convinced that she could power through Alzheimer’s as well, but sadly you can’t. He describes how she still loves having visitors and that she can still carry on a wonderful conversation, but short-term memory is a challenge these days.
Alzheimer’s is prevalent in my family on my father’s side, unfortunately. I had several relatives die from it before I was
born, and my brother was recently diagnosed. Since he was never married or never had children, I am expecting to contribute to caregiving duties for him in the future. What is the progression of the disease like, how long does each stage typically last, and what type of care is needed at each stage? What happens when the disease becomes more than I can handle as a caregiver? Thanks for your help!
