Alzheimer’s: Mum has to be bathed, dressed and reminded to eat

Vice-chairperson judicial service commission Dr Mercy Deche. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

I had always believed that a seriously sick person is one with a frail body, in pain and without appetite. Then life happened and I met Alzheimer’s disease. It is about the progressive loss of brain cells which, unfortunately, are not located in full view, like the face, for us to witness their disappearance. You are left to deal with the consequences of having a total stranger replace the person you have always known, and there is nothing you can do about it.

When my mum returned home in 2015 after an 18-year stint abroad with my siblings, it did not take me long to notice that all was not well. She kept repeating things, making up things, forgetting things, and confusing things.