Bruce Willis‘ wife Emma Heming Willis issued an emotional plea on Saturday, asking families of dementia sufferers for advice on how to help their loved ones navigate the world safely.
Her post on Saturday comes a year after it was announced the 67-year-old actor would be stepping away from his career after he was diagnosed with aphasia. Last month, his family said the illness had progressed to frontotemporal dementia.
‘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.’
In her caption of the post, the actor’s wife asks for advice on how to do this with her husband following his own diagnosis.
‘To other caregivers or dementia care specialist navigating this world…. Any tips or advice on how to get your loved ones out in the world safely? Please share below.’
Willis’ diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia can include symptoms like personality changes, speech difficulty and motor impairment.
The Hollywood icon, 67, was seen out and about last week, the first time since his family revealed he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) last month, per DailyMail.
FTD affects the lobes of the brain behind the forehead, which deal with behavior, problem-solving, planning and emotions – with symptoms including personality changes, obsessive behavior and speaking difficulties.
Bruce’s family issued a joint statement at the end of March announcing that he was ‘stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.’
The statement revealed he ‘has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities.’
Willis shares Rumer, 34, Scout, 31 and Tallulah, 29, with Moore, 60 to whom he was married from 1987 to 2000. He also has two daughters, Mabel, 10, and Evelyn, 8, with his wife Emma, 44, of 14 years.
