Speaking up for Alzheimer's

" When my father first started to get older. And cranky. I wrote it off as -- John Wayne -- not liking getting older. Because that would have been like my father to you know be really. Annoyed. That he couldn't remember that he was tired or whenever whenever it lives."

" definitely that daytime TV actress and talk show host in New York City 3000 miles from where parents lived in California. Her dad Ted will estimate wasn't just frustrated and irritable he had alzheimer's disease. But -- didn't know that."

" My mother never ever told me that he was breaking up the house. That he would wander often know -- to trying to him and some some neighbor would bring him home. That she never told me that he got stuck in the car once. Because he didn't know how to get home and a policeman brought him home. None of that -- I wasn't privy to any of that."

" But something else was going on to. Denial. You can't -- it it's too hard to bear."

" And you just don't want to slow your mother doesn't tell you you're you pretend it's not happening and and you know maybe. Saturday morning at wake up and everything will be fine and again I mean I don't know what we do that we do it."

" When it became clear her mom and dad needed help. -- became proactive. Deciding to move for parents to New York City to live with her and her husband frank. It couldn't have gone worse."

" And now it's going to be a great life. Another delegate give me and we -- gonna take care of them. And none of that community. It happened but not like I planned. My father got on that plane and when he got to my apartment that day that we thank -- my mother he knew me he calling my name me hug and kiss me. And four days later my father never called me I mean can he just was terrifying he didn't know where it was. And -- his education got so much more severe in four days he destroyed the apartment T. He tried to harm my mother I mean he did not know what he was doing and he was so --"

" Linda's father was in late stage alzheimer's but remarkably he still had not been diagnosed. He -- and Linda took into an emergency room. No bones were broken but her father was placed in the psych ward."

" And at one point after about kind of respect -- chose not to eat. Lessening could be getting to eat and he was just comatose. The whole time he was there he wouldn't respond you can talk to me in -- my mother. And it. I was told that I had -- patent."

" Lived -- against an expert in geriatrics from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine to see her father."

" And he turned me give him my father for five minutes and he said Andy your father has also. And I. Okay. All right but what is that I had no idea exit is that like fancy name for more. Personality. And he said now. It's dementia and explain -- you know what what it is and what happens and he named all my father's symptoms."

" Linda's dad was placed in a nursing home where he died three and a half years later helping care for him while pressing on with her career took a toll."

" And it -- months. Took care of me I mean I chance. I felt mice now sinking. Every of the more. I was working I was I was on. Again we're old enough playing differently each content. I mean knowing -- it can give you a little heavier every week -- a with just eating anything I could fight and -- just living this kind of two lives recently. A pharmaceutical company learned of Linda's story and asked her to help other families in similar situations. I thought about it a lot. Should I do this would I be able to help wouldn't make a difference if I spoke about my father and and what we went through. Ten and then verify it. Maybe you weren't. Maybe maybe it would mean that my story is probably some similar and now I find out it's it's like everybody's story. Everybody -- And and everybody. Feel of what I felt. Mill --"

" It talks about her experiences in interviews. She answers email and speaks with caregivers by phone. She works with groups including the national family caregivers association. Which provides resources for families dealing with alzheimer's disease. "

" I think it's a big help time that they scheming on television is his just what's happened -- people like me not and does have a everybody."

" And what about Linda's father. Linda thinks he's okay with her decision to use his story in trying to get the word out about early alzheimer's awareness."

" I think that my father knows. -- we went down this road together."

" For me to do exactly. What. Kick you -- figured that out. And through certain things I've. I've been made to feel that my father is very much. In favor of me helping them links in his name. And I believe -- now. To all of it. That my father's very proud. I'm proud of the work. I think."