Case Study Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's after he was president, though he did start experiencing symptoms such as forgetfulness in the later part of his term. He relied a lot on his wife, Nancy, when he was in the throes of his illness in order to help him get through his days. One thing I found to be interesting about Reagan's case is that he was thrown off of a horse in 1989, which led to the development of a blood clot in his brain. Nancy said that his symptoms began shortly after this allowing her to think that this might have brought on his diagnosis, though this was never proved with concrete evidence. His main challenges included his sleep schedule and his memory lapses that caused communication troubles. One way that an OT could assist him when it comes to his challenges is by teaching him to reduce the number of naps he takes by filling his days with activities. This will allow him to keep to a more normalized sleep pattern. To assist with the communication issues, he and Nancy will use a reminder board so that they are both on the same page and can communicate more efficiently. The story of Ronald and Nancy is a very heartwarming one in which Nancy is able to provide the support that Ronald needed to live his life as best as he could despite what challenges he encountered along the way.