It was widely suggested some time ago that former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was suffering from some form of dementia.
Now it has apparently been confirmed in Carol Thatcher’s new book that outlines her mother’s life and declining health. “A Swim-On Part in the Goldfish Bowl” was due out earlier this month.
Margaret Thatcher, the only woman ever to serve in Britain’s top elected post, was much beloved during her 11-year tenure (1979-90) and achieved international acclaim with tenacity, intelligence, wit, poise and courage.
Sadly, “The Iron Lady” apparently no longer remembers that her husband passed away five years ago, nor can she keep straight the difference between the Falkland Islands and Bosnia.
There is speculation she has Alzheimer’s, although the disease can never be fully diagnosed until there’s an autopsy.
Some Britons, as well as others around the world, are critical of Carol Thatcher’s expose, suggesting it sensationalizes a refined lady’s demise and is disrespectful of her mother’s privacy.
We disagree.
Admittedly, mental degeneration often brings on embarrassment for the patients and their families. There ensues a keen and natural desire to protect the afflicted one. Yet, without the courage of patients, families and caregivers to come forth with the reality of the debilitating nature of dementia, the medical world will be hampered at finding causes and cures and, even more seriously, people will be disinclined to open their wallets to help fund the research.
Dementia ultimately strips people of their core being. It can attack anyone regardless of social station, cerebral acumen or financial stability. In the United States alone, the number of those inflicted is growing as our population ages. According to the Alzheimer’s Association website, “10 million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer’s in their lifetime. . . . [And currently] as many as 5.2 million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer’s.”
Thatcher’s disability — ironically the same illness that felled her close friend and ally, President Ronald Reagan, who died of Alzheimer’s in 2004 — is a tragic coda to a brilliant life.
We wish her family well. They have a long road ahead as they watch their mother’s capabilities dwindle.
As for the rest of us, this is the time of year when the Alzheimer’s Association stages its Memory Walk national fundraiser. Denver’s event takes place Sept. 20 at City Park; go to for details and other locations in Colorado.
Put on your hiking shoes for the likes of Margaret Thatcher and the millions of others who deserve decent and rewarding golden years. Walk to help researchers solve the mysteries of dementia. Walk for the dignity of life.
