Emma Heming Willis revealed her husband, Bruce Willis, moved into a separate home away from their family amid his frontotemporal dementia battle — and experts are telling Us Weekly how relocation can impact a patient’s way of life.
“Oftentimes staying at home can be advantageous, as it provides a familiar environment that can then promote the continuation of one’s routine,” Mallory Grivner, a licensed clinical social worker who owns a group therapy practice that specializes in issues of aging, grief, caregiving and anxiety, exclusively tells Us Weekly. “This can, at times, promote further independence. Also, depending on one’s cognition, leaving a family home can be an immense source of loss and grief that can exacerbate dementia and/or depressive symptoms at times.”
As for what goes into the decision a patient’s family may make in moving them into patient care, Grivner, who does not treat Willis, says, “Living arrangements are often dependent on a few factors, including available caregivers, physical setup of the home, the individual’s care needs, goals of care and finances.”
She adds, “These decisions are challenging, and it is helpful to identify one’s wishes when they are still able to participate in these conversations. It is important to remember that even if it is decided to stay in the home for the duration of the disease, these decisions can and often change. Oftentimes people feel guilty about requiring a placement for a loved one, but caregiving is extremely challenging and taking care of your own needs is important.”
Heming Willis, 49, first revealed her husband had moved into his own home separate from his family in ABC’s Emma & Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey on August 26. It was explained that the actor relocated to the house “some time ago” and that he is under the supervision of a full-time care team to manage his FTD.
Heming Willis, who shares daughters Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11, with Willis, 70, admitted that moving her husband into his own home was “one of the hardest decisions” that she had to make in an interview with People published on Wednesday, September 3.
FTD patients can be sensitive to noise, something Heming Willis pointed out in the ABC special. Other symptoms can include losing the ability to properly speak, write, memorize and comprehend language.
After Willis received his diagnosis, Heming Willis mentioned that she limited her kids from having friends over and felt “isolated.” With Willis now receiving proper care in a separate home, the kids have been able to find some sense of normalcy as they continue to visit their father regularly while still also having time to socialize with others their age.
“We have two young children, and it was just important that they had a home that supported their needs and that Bruce could have a place that supported his needs … The kids can have playdates and sleepovers [again] and not have to walk around tiptoeing,” Heming Willis said of the living arrangement.
Bruce Willis and Emma Heming Willis Noam Galai/WireImage
Dr. Kylie Meyer, gerontologist and assistant professor at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University, exclusively tells Us that it’s “not uncommon for persons living with dementia to live in a separate residence than their primary caregiver, such as assisted living or memory care facilities.”
However, she says it is “far less common to have a second home, understandably, due to the cost constraints.”
“But every family is different, in terms of needs and resources,” Meyer, who does not treat Willis, notes. “Families should do what makes most sense for their unique situations. But there are situations [where ] can be disadvantageous: when a home environment isn’t safe, it may be time to consider a move.”
Meyer continues, “While there are many home modifications that can make a home safer for someone living with dementia, this might not be feasible for every family. We also must think about the caregiver: how does this living arrangement affect them? Especially with spousal caregivers, many types of dementia can seriously impact their ability to get a good night’s sleep, which is so needed to take care of themselves and the care recipient.”
Emma Heming Willis has been open about the ups and downs of supporting her husband, Bruce Willis, on his health journey following his diagnosis with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia. “This was the summer of self-discovery — finding new hobbies, going out of my comfort zone and staying active,” Heming Willis wrote via Instagram in August […]
Meyer says it is also common for people “to look at alternative living arrangements” when the “health and safety of the person living with dementia or the caregiver is at risk.”
Heming Willis explained what factored into her own decision to have Willis live in a second home after revealing she sought treatment for depression while searching for the right care and solutions for her husband.
“Sometimes it means that you have to look at your house,” she said during a Tuesday, September 2, podcast appearance. “You have to look at is it safe for someone to be living in this house? Is it safe for me, and is it safe for our children? It is a very personal decision, but it comes down to safety. It comes down to making the right decision for you and your family and your person.”
Demi Moore opened up about how tough it’s been to witness ex-husband Bruce Willis’ dementia diagnosis progress. “It’s difficult,” the actress, 62, recalled on a recent podcast appearance. “It’s hard to see somebody who was so vibrant and strong and so directed sift into these other parts of themselves.” Moore was previously married to Willis, […]
Home safety is something certified caregiving consultant Nancy Treaster deems “first priority” for families of dementia patients, whether they continue living in their family home or move to another residence.
“People with dementia often wander and may get into dangerous situations, so families must effectively ‘childproof’ their home for an adult-sized person,” Treaster, who cohosts “The Caregiver’s Journey” podcast with Sue Ryan, exclusively tells Us. “This means limiting access to external doors and certain rooms with childproof door covers or locks, securing knives in locked cabinets, putting childproof covers on stove knobs, encasing thermostats, potentially locking refrigerators — and blocking off stairs.”
Treaster adds, “Every home requires a comprehensive safety evaluation.”
Heming Willis admitted it was “heartbreaking” to move Willis into his own home, but FTD “requires a calm and serene atmosphere.”
“Everything just feels a lot calmer, more at ease now,” she told People of the decision.
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