An article published in the New York Post on January 22 chronicles one woman’s journey as an FTD caregiver – and how she turned to writing to process the experience after her husband’s death.

Ada Anbar, author of When Love Meets Dementia: Frontotemporal Degeneration and the Family, enjoyed a long and happy marriage to her husband Mike, a renowned medical researcher. But in the years following his retirement in 1997, she began to notice troubling changes in his behavior: he insisted they move to a city where they had no friends; demanded they replace all of their family vehicles; and became so convinced Ada was trying to harm him he hired a full-time bodyguard.

Mike was eventually diagnosed with FTD during a routine hospital visit four months before his death, at age 87, in October 2014. Ada surmises that Mike had the condition for more than decade prior to his diagnosis.

“I had to write [the book] to better understand the source of my husband’s behavior,” she said. “I hope it helps others as much as it helped me.”

Advice to Care Partners

In her book, Ada offers advice to care partners for self-care during their FTD journey.

Her tips include seeking respite and asking friends and family for help; accepting the mixed emotions that accompany caregiving; recognizing the changing dynamics of the relationship; and pursuing hobbies that can give meaning to the situation.

Please visit the Support for Care Partners section of AFTD’s website to learn more about resources available to care partners of people with FTD.