Singer Tony Bennett Reveals His Fight with Alzheimer's
Tony Bennett is the latest with the announcement he has Alzheimer's. Many of the celebrities we grew up with over the years are experiencing changes in their health.
You know him for songs like "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," 95-year-old Tony Bennett has revealed through the AARP that he has had Alzheimer's since 2015.
Nearly 50 million people have Alzheimer's or type of dementia worldwide. Alzheimer's is a common affliction, with one in ten people age 65 and older are dealing with this cognitive decline. Most people who have Alzheimer's are women.
The majority of people with dementia are older. That number is growing due to longevity, although a growing number of people have early-onset Alzheimer's disease primarily because of better diagnosis of the condition.
Family Reveals in AARP Interview
A feature report published by AARP magazine revealed his condition. Bennett thanked AARP on Twitter for letting him tell his story.
"Life is a gift -- even with Alzheimer's. Thank you to Susan and my family for their support and @AARP The Magazine for telling my story," he wrote.
Social media has reacted to this revelation.
Condition Progressing
Bennett says the condition is progressing. Alzheimer's gets worse over time, robbing people of their memory - their history - and changing who they are as a human being over time. It often leaves the person completely dependent on caregivers to supervise them and help them with daily activities.
The AARP story says he, so far, has been spared the disorientation that often causes people to wander from home. Plus, Bennett has not had any terror, rage, or depression episodes that often go along with the disease.
His singing and his music have been benefiting him, slowing the progression of the condition. Bennett has been able to perform, being confused just before a performance, but when the announcer introduces him, he can get into performance mode.
Music Helps Bennett and Others With Dementia
Music is a powerful medicine for many with dementia, according to Dan Cohen, MSW principal of Right to Music that advocates for the widespread adoption of personal music for caring for those with dementia.
"Staying connected with our favorite songs is calming, enjoyable, and helps reduce feelings of isolation and depression. This, in turn, reduces caregiver stress. If persons who are moving through the stages of dementia are calmer and caregivers are not overwhelmed, the need to find a long-term care facility is reduced," Cohen said.
Cohen explains that some parts of the brain remain relatively intact, allowing people with dementia to still enjoy their favorite music. This could explain how Bennett is functioning reasonably well, especially when performing his favorite songs.
The precise mechanism that causes music to have this type of impact remains a mystery, and Cohen says music therapy for those with dementia works most of the time.
"There is no downside to trying; no side effects if it doesn't work. The key is keeping the music personal, true favorites," Cohen explained.
TV Special
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennet are singing together, for one last time, on a CBS-TV special. Music memories seem to be the last to be lost, perhaps because music stimulates the brain. Bennet is not expected to perform again in the future.
Perceived Sigma
The family has stayed silent about his condition due to what they perceive as the disease's stigma. However, it will be hard for anyone to ignore the problem as more and more Americans enter their 60s and 70s when cognitive decline usually first gets noticed.
Many families must step in and provide the care and supervision that is normally required for someone with cognitive decline. Many people are unaware that health insurance, including Medicare, will not pay for this type of long-term health care. Families step in as caregivers, or assets get drained for paid care services - or both.
Only Long-Term Care Insurance offers benefits for dementia and other long-term health care people require due to changes in health, body, and mind.
Caregiving is Physically and Emotionally Draining on Family
Caregiving is both physically and emotionally demanding. Adult children often find themselves in the role of being "parents" of their parents. This role of caregiver creates numerous problems as they have their own career and family responsibilities to juggle with their new role of caregiver for mom or dad.
Paid long-term care services are expensive, and the costs continue to rise with greater demand and fewer available caregivers. You can see the current and future cost of long-term care by using the LTC NEWS Cost of Care Calculator available by clicking here.
Bennett joins a growing list of celebrities that have had to address memory problems. Many of the stars that we grew up with in the music industry, TV, movies, and sports suffer from memory problems and other long-term care issues as they are getting older.
Of course, we, too, are getting older. Today we can plan for the financial costs and burdens of aging with affordable Long-Term Care Insurance.
About the Author
An LTC News author focusing on long-term care and aging.
James Kelly
Contributor since August 21st, 2017
Editor's Note
Preparing for retirement can be challenging. Many people fail to consider the future costs of long-term health care and how that will affect your cash flow, lifestyle, and legacy.
If you suddenly have another bill of $5000 or more a month to pay for long-term care services, that would be financially challenging. Are you prepared for that? Could your adult children step in and be full-time caregivers?
Caregiving is tough, and family caregivers are usually untrained and unprepared for the job. A caregiver's job is also demanding, and they will find it hard to juggle their job and family responsibilities along with taking care of you.
Professional care is costly, and those costs are rising rapidly nationwide. You can prepare for both the financial challenges of long-term care as well as the emotional hardships by including affordable Long-Term Care Insurance in your retirement plans.
You will have access to guaranteed tax-free resources to pay for your choice of quality care options, including care in your home. Your loved ones will have the time to be family instead of caregivers.
The best time to obtain coverage is before retirement, ideally in your 40s or 50s since Long-Term Care Insurance is medically underwritten.
Seek Professional Advice
Experts suggest using a qualified Long-Term Care Insurance specialist to help you navigate the many options available to you and your family. Insurance rates are regulated, so no insurance agent, agency, or financial advisor can give you special deals. However, premiums do vary over 100% between insurance companies for the same coverage.
A specialist who works with the top companies can match your age, health, family history, and other factors and find you the best coverage at the best value. A specialist will save you money, and you will have the peace of mind knowing they are making the appropriate recommendations - Work With a Specialist | LTC News.
Available Resources on LTC NEWS
LTC NEWS offers several tools and resources to help you in your research for a planning solution or help your family find the appropriate care for a loved one at the time of crisis.
To help you plan for the future costs and burdens of changing health and aging, LTC NEWS can put together several resources, including:
- The LTC NEWS Cost of Care Calculator will show you the financial impact of long-term health care where you live. It will also show you state-specific information on tax benefits, care options, rules, and more.
- The Ultimate Long-Term Care Guide is an outstanding read to help you get a good overview of the topic area.
- Compare the major insurance companies that offer Long-Term Care Insurance products here - Top Insurers for Long-Term Care Insurance | LTC News.
- A detailed tax guide that includes available tax incentives can be found by reviewing the Long-Term Care Tax Benefits Guide.
Find all the resources on LTC NEWS - Resources for Long-Term Care Planning | LTC News.
Find Quality Caregivers and Long-Term Care Facilities
If your parent or loved one needs care now - or soon - you will need to find the appropriate care in the right setting depending on their needs.
Take a moment and read -
Get Expert Help Filing an LTC Insurance Claim
LTC NEWS provides free assistance with no obligation to help you, or a loved one complete the claim's process with your Long-Term Care Insurance policy. You can also support finding quality caregivers and get recommendations for a proper care plan, whether a person has a policy or not. - Filing a Long-Term Care Insurance Claim | LTC News.
Benefits of Reverse Mortgages
Today's reverse mortgages for those aged 62 and older could be an ideal resource to fund a Long-Term Care Insurance policy OR even provide money to pay for care if you, or a loved one, already needs help and assistance.
Some people have much of their savings invested in their homes. With today's reverse mortgages, you can find ways to fund care solutions, care itself, even help with cash flow during your retirement.
Learn more by asking questions to an expert. LTC NEWS columnist and host of the TV Show "62 Who Knew" will answer your questions regarding caregiving, aging, health, retirement planning, long-term care, and reverse mortgages.
Just "Ask Mike." - Reverse Mortgages | LTC News.
Be A Guest Contributor for LTC NEWS and Share Your Knowledge
LTC NEWS is open to contributors to share their stories with the world.
You can write a story or ongoing column for LTC NEWS. You can write about many topics, including aging, caregiving, health, lifestyle, retirement planning, and long-term care, to name a few.
Be sure to write for our core target audience of adults aged 40 and older. Our audience is worldwide; however, our primary target is the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and other English-speaking nations.
Improve your website or blog's SEO and gain exposure and traffic at the same time by being a contributor to LTC NEWS.
You can even promote yourself, your business, and your website or blog. However, it must have editorial content exclusive for LTC NEWS and cannot be just an advertisement. It can include links to other sites, and you can share the article link once published on your website or social media.
Email your story idea or article: newsroom@ltcnews.com - LTC News Contributors | LTC News
Your Marketing and Advertising Partner – LTC NEWS
Use LTC NEWS to drive traffic to your website and help you attract people interested in your products and services. Plus, you can improve your website's SEO so more consumers can find you when they search for your products and services.
There are various marketing options available with LTC NEWS. Traditional advertising, sponsored content articles, and strategic alliances, and more are available.
Learn more about how LTC NEWS can help you market your business, drive traffic, and improve SEO - Advertise With Us | LTC News.
Sharing News with LTC NEWS
Include LTC NEWS in your press release distribution. If your group, organization, business, political committee, etc., have news to share, send it to LTC NEWS. Email - newsroom@ltcnews.com
Shared Links
LTC NEWS offers a 'helpful links' page so readers looking for additional information can find them easily. You can get a dofollow link to your website on LTC NEWS in exchange for a dofollow link on your site.
Let's work together and help consumers who search for us on the web - Site Request | LTC News.
