Pat Robertson made a controversial statement about Alzheimer’s disease on his TV talk show. A viewer raised the question regarding someone who started seeing another woman after his wife developed the disease. Robertson said that the person in question should divorce their wife and start over, but make sure she has custodial care. He argued that marriage was “till death do us part,” but Alzheimer’s is “a kind of death.”
People familiar with the disease are offended by the ethical issues raised by Robertson’s statement. Even missing their memory, people with Alzheimer’s still respond to emotional context. Beth Kallmyer, a representative from the Alzheimer’s Association, acknowledged how difficult the situation can be for spouses to watch their loved ones deteriorate, but argued that there needed to be more education on the disease.
