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'They Sort of Lose Their Sense of Self': Yvette Nicole Brown Reveals Her Dad's Battle With Alzheimer's
She recalls to PEOPLE magazine her time taking care of her father and channeling all her experiences into her new podcast, titled Squeezed.
American actress Yvette Nicole Brown’s world turned upside down some 12 years ago when her father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. It started with suspicions over phone calls, leading to a shocking diagnosis that prompted Brown to reevaluate her relationship with her father. She recalls to PEOPLE magazine her time taking care of her father and channeling all her experiences into her new podcast.
“There was that moment of like, wow, I'm going to have my dad living with me for the first time,” she told the outlet, “it's when he's not capable of fully even experiencing this the way that I will be experiencing it.” She then added “Dementia is weird in that at some point they sort of lose their sense of self,” revealing how hard it was for her father to constantly be present owing to his condition, which is incurable.
Brown made sure she stepped up to take care of her dad, which even led her to talk of opting out of her contract for the NBC sitcom Community since she couldn't commit to long hours of shooting as well as caring for her father. “Putting him first is not a difficult decision for me at all,” she says, as she talks about making the difficult decision to move her father into a board and care facility. As Brown reveals, he had an accident that resulted in a broken hip requiring surgery and rehabilitation. The incident hindered his ability to walk.
“Releasing him to the care of other people was a very difficult thing to do and a very heartbreaking guilt-ridden choice to make,” she says, adding on her decision to opt for an assisted living facility to help her father. This, she says, has helped her shift into the role that is less of a caregiver and more of just being his daughter. Of course, she pays him multiple visits to keep check of everything. This experience also marked her encounter with the nation’s healthcare system. “The red tape you have to jump through just to get basic care for your loved one is shocking,” she shares with the outlet, adding how tough it was to fight for physical therapy and a wheelchair.
For her upcoming podcast titled Squeezed, she is bringing in her experiences to share with the world, letting everyone know that they are not alone in the process of caregiving. With guests from the healthcare industry, this intends to give an insightful look into the act of providing care for children and older family members.
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