President Ronald Reagan

One of the neurodegenerative conditions that is closest to my heart is dementia.  Dementia is an umbrella term for many different types of diseases that may be considered a sub-set of dementia.  I worked at an assisted-living community for a year and a half after I graduated in the memory care unit and that is where my love for geriatrics really began.  After spending time day after day with my residents I saw the affects of dementia and Alzheimer's, which is the leading type of dementia.  I learned so much from my time there and was shown that there is still hope, even with conditions like dementia.  President Ronald Reagan was diagnosed with dementia after his presidency and spent his last years on the ranch with the love of his life Nancy.  When people are in the spotlight I think it is even harder to experience a disease like dementia.  People are seeing everything you are doing and for Ronald, they even started questioning whether or not he was exhibiting signs in his presidency.  It makes me happy that he had the means to spend his life comfortably with his wife at his ranch in his last days.  Dementia is something  I hope and pray is cured during my lifetime.