She may have been able to deal with it, especially at first. And it sounds like they were very private. Many people with Alzheimer's refuse external help because they don't understand that they need it.

My dad, who has advanced Alz, is in a skilled nursing facility to the tune of $16k monthly. 24/7 care at home would be even more. It's astonishingly expensive to care for people who are unable to care for themselves.

My dad has dementia. It's so hard to lose him, piece by piece. Sometimes he knows my name and that I'm his daughter and sometimes he doesn't, but so far he always recognizes that I'm someone he knows. I'm dreading the day he doesn't. I look forward to reading your book.