New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim opens up about father's Alzheimer's diagnosis
New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim is opening up about his father's Alzheimer's diagnosis in hopes of helping others struggling like him to care for their loved ones.
Kim shared the punch-in-the-gut feeling he experienced when the doctor gave the diagnosis.
"In a blink of an eye, I had gone from being a son to being a caregiver," he says in a video posted to his YouTube channel.
The politician said his father immigrated to the United States from South Korea 50 years ago and was born with polio. He was a medical researcher who spent his life trying to find a cure for cancer and Alzheimer's.
"You can't help but think that Alzheimer's won," Kim told CBS News New York's Christine Sloan.
"It shouldn't have to be this hard"
His 78-year-old father isn't able to walk or do much on his own anymore.
The senator is now juggling his schedule by taking his father to early morning appointments, then heading to the Capitol.
Kim said he can be very stressed and anxious during this time, and it is expensive to care for his father. A private room at a long-term facility in New Jersey can cost up to $17,000, and Medicare doesn't always cover all medical expenses, he said.
"We are the richest, most powerful country in the world. It shouldn't have to be this hard for people to get care when their family needs it," Kim said.
Nearly 200,000 people in New Jersey and 7 million nationally are affected by the disease.
Rutgers Alzheimer's scientist Michal Schnaider Beeri said the disease can start decades before the first symptom. But new medications can slow down cognitive decline in early-stage patients by attacking abnormal protein buildup in the brain.
Beeri said there are things people can do to lower their risk of getting Alzheimer's.
"If you can be physically active, socially active, cognitively active, if you can maintain a good lifestyle in terms of diet, in terms of sleep, no smoking, no obesity," he said.
Kim stays focused on the present
Kim said he is trying to enjoy the time with his father, despite the disease.
"I am grateful that my kids are able to still engage with him and be able to build up those memories themselves," he said.
The senator said he hopes to continue his father's legacy and reduce harm being done to other families. The Democrat is asking Republicans to work with him to make Alzheimer's care affordable and continue funding research to find a cure.
