|
 The Wall Street Journal recently ran a controversial article about the appropriateness of extramarital relationships when your partner has Alzheimer's. As many know Alzheimer's is a devastating and so far an incurable disease that robs a person of memory plunging them into a dark abyss where ultimately they wither and die, perhaps years later from the onset of the disease. Over 5.3 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's, most over the age of 65. The spouse --who is usually the caregiver for their partner with Alzheimer's--slowly witnesses the fading memory and personality change until their loved one is lost, yet still alive. Alzheimer's reduces a person to just a shell of their once vibrant self until death comes, sometimes years later. The question becomes is it adultery if you are having a relationship with another person while the the person you married is still alive, but has now lost the mental capacity to function or even understand their existence? It's a thorny issue, with many coming down on different sides of it. Some religious leaders contend it is still adultery, while others aren't so sure. Support groups on the other hand are trying not to be judgemental. And while some family members may support the dating parent, others see it as being unfaithful. As we age we will have to grapple with these and other complex issues in the future.
|
