Forgotten Lives--Alzheimer's

Steve Ringman

San Francisco Chronicle

Forgotten lives is a literal description of the nightmare that a family falls into when one member slips away--when they lose their minds. Alzheimer's Disease has taken over the Lubbe family, caring for the father on a 24-hour basis, spending every dime on drugs, day care, with no relief. If he is not tied into bed or chair, he will walk around the house all day and all night and all day again. He has seen robbers in the mirror and laid down in the street kicking at policemen. Still we don't know why--especially his family. Here, Mrs. Lubbe holds a photograph of her husband from early in their marriage. At night, she sometimes cries, asking God, why her?

Steve Ringman, "Forgotten Lives--Alzheimer's," in POYi Archive, Item #14116, http://archive.poy.org/items/show/14116 (accessed May 5, 2025).