Living with Alzheimer’s – a love story

By Robin Thomson

What is the most important thing we can do for the person living with Alzheimer’s, or other kinds of dementia? It’s easy to feel powerless or uncomfortable. ‘I don’t go to visit my grandmother in her care home,’ a young friend told me. ‘I don’t know how I can relate to her or help her.’

When my wife, Shoko, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2012, we had no clue what lay ahead. Later, when the disease really began to bite, we learned the hard way, as Shoko’s personality changed and she lost her capacity in many areas of life. Despite this her affection remained constant and it was a deeply spiritual journey. She died of heart failure in 2018.