One Woman’s Journey as a Caregiver to a Husband with Frontotemporal Dementia

Around the time Deb Scharper’s husband Tommy turned 38, he became forgetful, started to act odd, and lost interest in his long-time passion of driving and repairing cars. He grew paranoid and eventually suffered a breakdown in which he sought to harm his children and himself. The family had him admitted to a psychiatric facility and he was diagnosed and treated for depression. It would take until he was 44, that he was correctly diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, a rare and progressive condition. He now receives full time care in a nursing home. We spoke to Scharper about the impact of frontotemporal dementia on her family, her experience as a caregiver, and why she has become an advocate who organizes support groups for other caregivers of people with the condition.