The Wall Street Journal recently ran a heart breaking story about two women, Abbe Merling and Judy Roder, who have been close friends for 30 years and now have had to revamp their relationship after Judy was diagnosed with dementia eight years ago. Since then, Abbe has been by her side, taking her on roadtrips, weekend retreats and events at their temple. More than 6 million Americans aged 65 and older have Alzheimer’s disease, and many have to watch as their friends abandon them, unable to cope with the change in behavior of the one diagnosed with this disease. That’s sad, as a 2019 study found that those with Alzheimer’s disease that have a close circle of friends have better cognition. Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away. There are great people at our local chapter of Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan’s Ranch. They also have a 24-hour hotline if you need support at 800-272-3900.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-importance-of-friendship-for-alzheimers-patients-11618846255