After Danny Glover revealed his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, an expert has shared the warning signs people should look for to identify the disease.
In an interview with People magazine published on Wednesday (July 1), the prolific actor shared that he was diagnosed with the progressive neurodegenerative disease in 2023.
Glover, who will turn 80 this month, alternates between moments of confusion and unfinished thoughts and periods in which he speaks clearly and lucidly.
Highlights
- Danny Glover revealed that he has been living with Alzheimer's disease.
- The acclaimed actor, whose career spans nearly four decades, received the diagnosis in 2023, a year after his daughter first began noticing symptoms.
- Glover still remembers the highlights of his career but often leaves thoughts unfinished and has gaps in his memory of events.
Image credits: Silver Pictures
“I'm still not accepting in my mind all parts of it,” he said of his diagnosis. “There are the moments that you keep remembering that validate the fact that you can remember stuff. And there are moments I'll never forget.”
“I don't feel like it's the end of my life,” the four-time Emmy winner added. “There's work to do.”
Glover said he keeps a picture of his parents, postal workers James and Carrie, in his living room “to remind me, looking at it, how much I loved them both.”
Among the stories he remembers is his mother’s words of encouragement after she was impressed by one of his early theater performances.
Image credits: John Mathew Smith/Flickr
He also remembers many of the highlights of his career, including working with Mel Gibson on Lethal Weapon and his portrayal of Mister, the husband of Whoopi Goldberg's character, in The Color Purple.
“He was in his own pain too as well. Part of the outcome of that was his own healing. In those kinds of relationships, people have an opportunity to resolve their own internal contradiction,” Glover said of his role in the Steven Spielberg-directed film.
The veteran Hollywood star also recalls meeting Nelson Mandela after the South African leader was released from prison and before portraying him in a 1987 TV movie.
Image credits: Studio Romantic/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
The actor’s daughter, Mandisa, said he had always remembered events in remarkable detail. She began noticing a change in 2022, when Glover’s anecdotes suddenly became blurrier.
“The history of my dad is that he remembers every single thing back to 1970, what corner he was standing on, who he spoke to, what they spoke about, what color they were wearing, everything,” she explained.
“He'd tell you so much about his parents — and I've heard those stories over and over — and there would be pieces of the story missing. I said, ‘I wonder what's going on.'”
Mandisa, Glover's only child, was born in 1976 from his relationship with his first wife, Asake Bomani.
According to the People magazine report, the mind of the legendary actor and activist tends to be at its sharpest in the mornings.
“When I wake up, I try to figure out something,” he shared. “Reading something, looking at something. Democracy Now! is a show that I love.”
Since being diagnosed a few years ago, Glover’s movements and speech have also slowed.
“I’m sure as it advances, things are going to be different and changing,” Glover told the TODAY show.
The actor is one of more than 7 million Americans aged 65 and older living with Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disease.
Black people are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia compared to white people, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Image credits: LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
Alternating between moments of clarity and moments of confusion can occur in people with Alzheimer’s, depending on the stage of the disease they are in, Dr. Saskia Sivananthan, founder of The Brainwell Institute, told Bored Panda.
“Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. There are several symptoms associated with Alzheimer's disease. Most people only think of memory loss, but other symptoms include changes in language (difficulty with common words) and disorientation (this is sometimes those moments of confusion).
“The periods of clarity become fewer over time as the disease progresses.”
As in Glover’s case, symptoms, including those periods of confusion and disorientation, can fluctuate throughout the day, becoming more pronounced in the evening than in the morning.
Image credits: Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images
“Just like most people, as the person living with dementia becomes more tired toward the end of the day, or if they are fatigued from an activity that might have taken a lot of focus or energy, the symptoms of dementia become more pronounced toward the end of the day.
“Sleep disruptions can also be more pronounced for a person with dementia and so again, if you don't have enough sleep, you get more tired quickly during the day.”
Confusion is also linked to the effects of dementia on people's vision and depth perception, the neuroscientist noted. Therefore, when the sun goes down and everything becomes darker, the disorientation becomes even greater.
Image credits: Silver Pictures
Lastly, evenings tend to be more difficult for people with Alzheimer's because they may struggle to communicate when they are hungry or in pain, making it harder for them to receive help.
“There are 10 warning signs we recommend people watch for for any form of dementia,” Dr. Sivananthan noted.
Warning signs include memory loss, difficulty performing familiar tasks, problems with language, disorientation to time and place, poor or decreased judgement, problems keeping track of things, and misplacing items.
But there are other signs that many people may not associate with dementia, including changes in mood and behavior, challenges understanding visual and spatial information, and withdrawal from work or social activities.
Dr. Sivananthan explained that Alzheimer's typically progresses slowly until the person can no longer care for themselves, a point that, on average, occurs after 8 to 10 years.
“However, the rate of progression can vary quite a bit depending on other conditions the person may have, the care they have access to, and the support they have,” the expert said.
The Alzheimer’s Association advises that staying physically active, managing blood pressure and diabetes, getting quality sleep and maintaining social connections can be crucial in the fight against this brain disease.
Glover, who has more than 170 acting credits to his name, decided to reveal his diagnosis both to remove the stigma surrounding Alzheimer’s and to “have control of his own narrative, of his own life story,” Mandisa said.
Image credits: Mark Von Holden/Variety/Getty Images
The actor’s daughter shared that he is “aware sometimes and then sometimes not” of his diagnosis.
Mandisa, who is part of the actor’s support network along with his younger brother, Martin, and a team of caregivers, did not try to sugarcoat the difficult reality of watching her father slowly deteriorate and become less like himself each year.
“(It) sure it's depressing,” the 50-year-old told People. “It's a change in the core of who you think you are or don't think you are. It's very hard. You just have to live the day for what it is.”
“We just want him to live his best life,” added Martin, “like he made us live ours. He took me under his wing, and I love him to d*ath. I’m here to help him now.”
As for Glover, he feels his family’s support and is determined to focus on what he has to celebrate rather than on what he is lacking or what cannot be changed.
“I still have my daughter, I have friends. I want to just say, your life continues.”
