One of the clearest places to see the progression of my husband’s early-onset Alzheimer’s disease is in his ability to take care of himself.

In the beginning of his dementia journey, Tony had no problem in taking off his clothes, taking a shower, picking out what he was going to wear for the day, and putting those clothes on.

Although we don’t think about it too much because it becomes so automatic, this process really is a series of decisions that must be made. It requires what is known as executive function in our brains.

The Cleveland Clinic defines “executive function” as the skills that we use to manage everyday tasks such as making plans, solving problems and adapting to new situations. It combines three main skills: working memory, cognitive flexibility and inhibition control.

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