Mass. Moves to Require End-of-Life Talks

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8. while discussing, bring up dementia/Alzheimer's

This is an epidemic and it's going to get worse as people live longer. My mom has advanced stage Alz. now at 87 but she can still get around (just barely) with someone holding her arm so she doesn't fall. Her brain is gone---last night I showed her how to break off the stem-tops of peas from my garden, and she tried but could not figure it out.

I had a scare with her the other night and had a dilemma about calling 911. She still had a strong pulse so I opted to make her as comfortable as possible at home, and she fell asleep and was fine in the morning. But if you don't know what your loved one wants ahead of time if he/she has Alzheimer's, when something happens you must make your own decision. I don't like having this responsibility but there's no directive about this.