One thing is for sure, you don't give a dementia patient one of the most powerful positions in the world or the people that want to just use him to gain power only for themselves knowing full well that trump will not be around in any capacity for very much longer, he's really not too capable now.
That is most certainly true. And the politicians who cheer him on are indeed trying to profit. Now, and when he eventually becomes so demented he'll have to be institutionalized, or will die. I suspect just about all the VP hopefuls believe if they could just get the job and hang on for a little while, the prize will be theirs.
The trouble with Alzheimer's or other kinds of dementia is that people don't like to talk about it. One of the good things Nancy Reagan did was try to raise awareness, but she didn't get far with it. I suspect much of the problem is that it's something people don't like to think about. Many children and even spouses are in denial for a long time before they accept the diagnosis; sometimes they never do.
A few weeks ago, Sanjay Gupta did a special on CNN about Alzheimer's. It was quite interesting. Its thesis was that it can be to some extent reversed by applying some fairly simple lifestyle changes. It began with a woman who'd been declining for several years. She no longer left home by herself, talked less, frequently didn't make sense, and all the rest. Her husband was her chief caretaker, and the responsibility was weighing on him. He'd heard of an experimental program in California, and decided to try it.
It was pretty simple. The participants had to eat a vegan diet; exercise for an hour a day, usually by taking a walk; participate in a support group; and meditate for an hour a day. I think that's it. Not complicated or difficult. Sanjay was impressed. He's a neurologist, but I don't know how reliable his impressions are. The woman who was the focus of the show stayed in California with her husband for a while, and then they returned home. They both felt things had improved enormously, as did their adult children. She wasn't "normal", but she was at least once again a participant in her own life. The whole family felt it was worth doing.
Obviously, if the program even delays the worst effects of the disease, it's worth doing. And it's inexpensive and pretty easy to do, unlike most medical regimes. So...
