“It’s as though he has died a second time,” the mourner intoned softly to the menachemei aveilim who were gathered around to pay their respects. “We first noticed it when he kept getting lost and had no sense of direction. He continued going downhill, until it got to the point where he didn’t recognize me anymore. That was when I lost my Dad the first time.”

Unfortunately, this sentiment at shiva is very common. Dementia is like a thief that steals the very essence of a person. It can cause an intelligent, talented individual to become a prisoner in his own body. Dementia comes in all stripes and colors, expressing itself in many ways. It doesn’t discriminate against any culture, race, or religion. Victims include prominent figures, such as judges, doctors, and rabbis. According to the NIH, dementia affects four percent of the population by age 75 and 20% by age 85.^[1]