Memories Fade, But Emotions Remain

One of the biggest concerns for Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers is the worry that visits from  loved ones don’t matter,  that the memory loss robs them of the kindnesses, comforts and care that their friends and family try to offer them.   Patients hate the idea that they’ll lose the knowledge of those they love, and caregivers fear that their efforts are pointless exercises.

But a new study suggests that those visits and small kindnesses definitely matter – because even when the direct memory of the visit fades, the warm feelings from it remain.