Famed for playing Alexis Carrington in 1980s soap opera Dynasty, in addition to Princess Nellifer in the Land of the Pharaohs (1955), and Pearl in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000), Dame Joan Collins has been starring on TV for decades. In a candid interview, the actress said: “Touch wood, I’ve never had any health problems other than a bit of toothache… But my husband Percy’s mother had Alzheimer’s – and that’s a terrifying illness.”
Percy Gibson – a Hollywood producer, whom she married in 2002 – is Collins’ fifth husband. In previous years, she married: Irish actor Maxwell Reed (1952); filmmaker Anthony Newley (1963); American businessman Ron Kass (1972); and pop star Peter Holm (1985). Gibson, 32 years her junior, would have to say goodbye to his mother, Bridget, much sooner than he would have liked as Alzheimer’s takes away a person’s personality over time. To the Daily Record, Collins continued: “You don’t want to live like that [with dementia]. It is far better to drift off slowly.”
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Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, the Alzheimer’s Society pointed out.
The disease occurs when abnormal proteins, called plaque and tangles, build up in the brain, thereby interfering with brain cells communicating with one another.
“Eventually nerve cells die and brain tissue is lost,” the charity pointed out.
Symptoms of the disease are mild to start with, but as more of the brain becomes damaged, the signs of dementia become more pronounced.
“For most people, the first signs of Alzheimer’s are problems with their memory,” the Alzheimer’s Society pointed out.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, the Alzheimer’s Society pointed out. The disease occurs when abnormal proteins, called plaque and tangles, build up in the brain, thereby interfering with brain cells communicating with one another. “Eventually nerve cells die and brain tissue is lost,” the charity pointed out. Symptoms of the disease are mild to start with, but as more of the brain becomes damaged, the signs of dementia become more pronounced. “For most people, the first signs of Alzheimer’s are problems with their memory,” the Alzheimer’s Society pointed out.
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Over time, a person who has Alzheimer’s will need assistance with living their day-to-day life. Help will be needed for tasks such as cooking, cleaning, washing, and grocery shopping. Watching someone you love suffer from Alzheimer’s can be heartbreaking; something that Collins can relate to. Supporting a partner whose parent has Alzheimer’s disease can be challenging. You can seek support from the Alzheimer’s Society charity.
