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Emma Heming Willis said the best things to care for her husband Bruce Willis cannot be debated.
Like many caregivers, mothers of two have been forced to make difficult choices for their families in recent years. But the decision to move 70-year-old Willis into a separate house was difficult in his battle with frontal dementia (FTD), a move sparked debate on social media.
The former model wrote a new book. “An unexpected journey: Find strength, hope and yourself on the road of care.” This is the focus of her personal experience as a celebrity caregiver. It is also a roadmap for new caregivers and their families.
Bruce Willis and his wife Emma Heming Willis were seen on January 15, 2019 at the SVA Theater’s “Glass”. The actor’s family announced that he was diagnosed with FTD in 2023. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
“sometimes [your loved one’s] Heming Willis told Fox News Digital that the demand becomes more than your gear. I think if someone doesn’t live in your home and do what you’re doing 24/7, they won’t give their opinions. If they live with you, they do give their opinions. But I don’t think it’s debated, just because someone’s care plan looks different from someone’s. ”
“I want to reveal this because I just feel like there is too much stigma around this conversation,” the 47-year-old said. “You can imagine the judgment and criticism I know about landing on my legs.”
Watch: Bruce Willis is diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia
In 2022, the Willis family announced He was diagnosed with aphasiaThis situation can lead to the loss of ability to understand or express pronunciation. The “hard” star withdrew from the year after his diagnosis.
“An unexpected journey: Find strength, hope and yourself on the road of care.” (Open venue)
About a year later, his family revealed that Willis had a more specific diagnosis of FTD.
The Frontotemporal Degeneration Association describes FTD as a group of brain diseases caused by the frontal and/or temporal lobes of the brain that affect behavior, language, and movement. Associated Press. Aphasia may be a symptom of it.
Emma Heming Willis and Bruce Willis spent a date night in New York City in 2008, the year before they ended their end. (Duffy-Marie Arnoult/Wireimage/Getty Images)
The association describes frontotemporal degeneration as an “inevitable decline in function” and the average life expectancy after onset of symptoms is 7 to 13 years. Progressive diseases are at the end and cannot be cured.
Emma Heming Willis told Fox News Digital that the public needs to support and improve caregivers at their best. (QUOC)
As the disease progresses, Heming Willis realizes that the actor needs more support while she takes care of her daughter, Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11.
“It was one of the toughest decisions I had to make, but I knew it was the right decision – for our family, for the safety of Bruce and for the safety of our girls, it was the safest and most suitable for us,” she explained. “It is important that as his needs change, we need something different to meet his needs. Our girls also need a home that supports their needs.”
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Emma Heming Willis said they only gave them one pamphlet after her husband’s diagnosis. (Jeff Vespa/VF14/WireImage/Getty Images)
“I think what happens with nursing is that people don’t understand the needs of the person you love are not being met 100% of the time,” she said. “Now, I know Bruce is supported 100% of the time. There is no better feeling than that.”
Bruce Willis’s family announced in 2022 that the actor has been diagnosed with aphasia, which could be a symptom of FTD. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
Willis’s one-story house is nearby, designed for his treatment and safety, People Magazine Report. It provides a “quiet, comfortable and safe environment and provides 24/7 care”. This also allows his daughter to be their “highly inspired children” with her mother. Heming Willis said the FTD’s progress requires Willis to be in a “calm and tranquil environment.”
Their daughter keeps clothes, toys and art supplies at Willis’ home, allowing them to spend as much time with their father as possible.
Emma Heming Willis details the challenges faced by caregivers in her new book. (James Devaney/GC Image/Get Topame)
“If I have a verdict Buy a second home To ensure my husband is properly cared for, what would it look like for other care partners who have to put loved ones in the facility. “Heming Willis pointed out.
Bruce Willis saw it in 2019 with his three oldest daughters: Rumer Willis, Scout Willis and Tallulah Willis. They are accompanied by the actor’s ex-wife actress Demi Moore and his current ex-boyfriend Emma Heming Willis. (Stefanie Keenan/Getty for Goop)
“Can you imagine the criticism and judgment they face? I want other caregivers to know that you are not alone and that everyone’s care journey is different. The most important thing is that we support other caregivers. We are showing up for them. We are not criticizing or judging them.”
“We’ve already been hard on ourselves,” she reflected. “We’ve brought shame and innocence. We don’t need anything extra. We just need support.”
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Emma Heming Willis had previously revealed to Fox News Digital that she first mistakenly believed her husband’s dementia symptoms were due to hearing loss he suffered when filming “Die Hard” in 1988. (20th century – Fox/Getty Images)
Heming Willis shares her daughter I have been doing “beautiful work” while supporting my father.
Bruce Willis and Emma Heming Willis got married in 2009. (Britta Pedersen/Picture Alliance by Getty Images)
“I’m lucky to be able to provide the right support for them and myself,” said Heming Willis. “I want to know how to best show them and talk to them through what they might experience or see. I just want to help them through that. I think their relationship with my father is a beautiful person. … They see the disease progressing over time and we just continue to show up in Bruce and serve him.”
Watch: Rumer Willis’ latest for dad Bruce Willis’ health
Over the years, Heming Willis sought guidance from doctors and experts to better understand FTD, its progress, and the best quality of life for carers to provide loved ones. She’s been sharing her Discovery and conversation on social media.
As time goes by, it doesn’t get easier.
Bruce and Emma Heming Willis share two young daughters. (Theo Wargo/Get Timage at Lincoln Center)
“I’ve been sad,” Heming Willis admits. “It’s always with me. But… you can feel sad about it and still live a fulfilling life. It doesn’t make you a caregiver because you choose to live a living. And I’m trying to live a fulfilling life because I know Bruce wants that for me and our family.
“I believe that for caregivers, finding someone who can talk to them, they won’t get judged. They can only talk by how they feel. I always tell my girls are better than going in. Make your feelings better than bottles.”
Emma Heming Willis hopes her book will be a roadmap for new caregivers. (Neil Rasmus/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
The disease forces Heming Willis to face the devastating truth. In her bookshe wrote, after learning that dementia had “caused death”, she felt “the ground had been pulled from under me.” Nevertheless, educating FTD and its harsh truths has made her a better caregiver.
According to Alzheimers.gov, about 60% of patients with frontotemporal dementia are between 45 and 64 years old. (Team GT/GC Image/Get Toprip)
“I think it really helped me … out of denial,” she told Fox News Digital. “It won’t help my situation. … I ask questions, I know I don’t like the answers sometimes, but it’s important to me. I just want to continue to support Bruce and our family and myself with the right information.”
“We have no guidance, no roadmap, no diagnosis,” she said. “I have found these incredible experts and experts over the past few years. But I have had to delve into it. It’s not easy to get unless you have the time, energy, access and resources.
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Emma Heming Willis said she was inspired to live the best life of herself, her daughter and husband, Bruce Willis, who didn’t want his dementia diagnosis to change anything. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
“What I realized with these experts is that they gave me such valuable information. I realized that I wanted to put everything together (all insights, all their wisdom) and share it with the next caregiver.”
“While it’s painful, it’s a relief to have a clear diagnosis in the end,” the family said in a statement. “FTD is a cruel disease that many of us have never heard of and can impress anyone.” (YUI MOK/PA images via Getty Images)
Heming Willis hopes her book will help other caregivers who feel lost.
“They are not alone,” she said. “You can take care of yourself. If you don’t try to take care of yourself, it will be very difficult to keep the journey. … When we ask for help, we are not failing. We are not failing.”
