'How stressful it can be': Bruce Willis' wife Emma Heming seeks advice from families of dementia sufferers after paparazzi encounter
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Bruce Willis's wife Emma Heming shared a heartfelt video on her Instagram asking for advice from the families of dementia sufferers on how to "get your loved ones out in the world safely" after the action star's first paparazzi encounter since his family announced his diagnosis in 2022. Heming's Instagram post was uploaded on Saturday, March 4, a month after Willis' family announced that his illness has progressed to frontotemporal dementia.
Last week, the 67-year-old actor was spotted stepping out for a coffee with his friends. This is the first time Willis was seen in public since his family announced that he has been diagnosed with dementia. The 'Die Hard' actor got soon surrounded by paparazzi during his outing and was found looking utterly confused in surfaced clips. Willis' discomfort, however, did not stop the shutterbugs who continued taking pictures of the star and "yelling" at him. It appears that the circulated videos of the paparazzi taking pictures of Willis looking confused caught the attention of his wife who took to her Instagram to address the situation and raise awareness about dementia.
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Heming raises awareness about dementia
In the uploaded video, Heming can be seen talking about raising awareness about dementia and the stress of caregivers who help those with the illness. "To other caregivers or dementia care specialists navigating this world…. Any tips or advice on how to get your loved ones out in the world safely?" she wrote in the caption of the post. "If you are someone who is looking after someone who has dementia, you know how difficult and how stressful it can be, just to get them out into the world and navigate them safely - even just to get a cup of coffee," Heming said in the video.
'Routines are great'
Heming received a ton of responses in her comments from fellow dementia caregivers. One comment descriptively wrote, "To answer your question; you have to see what type of day your Dad is having. If he seems to be having a good day usually around 10:30 or 11:00 am is a good time to take him out for a walk in the park, a trip to the ocean, or lunch after. You need to be aware of large crowds, and loud noises that can scare or overwhelm him. Too much stimulation sometimes will upset someone with Alzheimer’s or Dementia. Even a walk every day around your home is good. You can also bring a book such as Chicken Soup for the soul, and pack a lunch. You have to watch for Sundown symptoms. Typically this occurs around 4 pm but can happen sooner. They’ll become anxious, cry, or repetitive comments such as looking for their parents. Always meet them where they are in memory. Don’t correct them. You can redirect the behavior by saying “let’s go walk, play a word game” etc." Another follower advised: "Routines are great. Every morning can be your morning walk, so it becomes a task and part of the routine. AZ and dementia patients need routine in their lives, which has helped my mother."
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