10 years of following an Alzheimer’s patient and her caregiver

As baby boomers move into old age and live longer, the potential number of Alzheimer’s sufferers in the U.S. may reach record levels.CBS News Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook follows an Alzheimer’s patient and her caregiver husband for 10 years in an unprecedented report that shows future sufferers and their caregivers what they may face. LaPook chronicles a loving husband’s increasing burden as he cares for the woman he loves as she slowly disappears in front of his eyes. The story of Mike and Carol Daly of Staten Island, NY, is a sweet and sad journey from better to worse.In her first interview, Carol’s memory is slipping, but she knows how old she is; she is active and can still do her job at the bank. In just three years, she no longer knows her age and her lack of concentration makes it impossible for her to read or watch movies. As LaPook records her mental and physical decline, he also reports Mike’s parallel emotional erosion. Alzheimer’s forced Mike and Carol to switch roles, says Mike. He tells LaPook he does the household chores Carol once did and now, he must care for her, too.
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