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Supreme Court justice knows it’s best to let Alzheimer’s patients forget the past

November 14th, 2007

Doctors say families must allow patients to have new lives

From ABC News:

Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor has been happily married to her law school sweetheart, John O’Connor, since 1952.

John O’Connor has Alzheimer’s disease and lives in a Phoenix home care facility, where he has found a new girlfriend.

Speaking to a Phoenix TV station this week, O’Connor’s son, Scott, described his father as acting “like a teenager in love” and says his mother is happy for him.

Unusual as that sounds, doctors say the O’Connors’ situation is not uncommon.

… Alzheimer’s patients have no choice but to gradually let go of the past. For their families it is heartbreaking to watch. But doctors say the kindest thing families can do is to let go of the past.

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More than 50 million people in the United States have disabilities, a number that is growing rapidly as the population ages. Experts say disability will soon affect the lives of most Americans. This blog attempts to explore what we know about disability, and to chronicle the efforts of people who are seeking new ways to address familiar challenges.

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