Navigating Dementia: Emotions and Ethics

Earlier this year, we shared the story of one family’s dispute over a loved one with dementia. That story, originally reported in The New York Times Magazine by Katie Engelhart, won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing this past week. Today, we're revisiting Katie’s story – and the question at the heart of it: When cognitive decline changes people, should we respect their new desires?

Guest: Katie Engelhart, a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine.

Background reading: 

• The Mother Who Changed: A Story of Dementia
• Katie Englehart has reported on dementia for years, and one image of a prisoner haunts her.

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