Ronald Reagan’s journey with Alzheimer’s and advice for caregivers

“The one thing that Alzheimer’s taught me pretty much right out of the gate was that it was time to grow up. … If I was going to really show up and be present and be hopefully some kind of positive force in that, I had to get off the past,” Patti Davis says of her father, Ronald Reagan, and his Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

“The one thing that Alzheimer’s taught me pretty much right out of the gate was that it was time to grow up. … If I was going to really show up and be present and be hopefully some kind of positive force in that, I had to get off the past,” Patti Davis says of her father, Ronald Reagan, and his Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Photo by David Hume Kennerly.

Former president Ronald Reagan disclosed his Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis in 1994. He died a decade later. His daughter, Patti Davis, chronicles her family’s experiences with the diseases in her latest book, “Floating in the Deep End: How Caregivers can See Beyond Alzheimer's.” Critics also review the latest movie releases, including “Dear Evan Hansen” and “The Guilty.” 

From this Episode:

Credits

Host:

Madeleine Brand

Producers:

Sarah Sweeney, Angie Perrin, Michell Eloy, Amy Ta, Rosalie Atkinson, Brian Hardzinski, Bennett Purser