Illness of any kind is much more taxing on older bodies, since most have fewer reserves and less robust immune systems than younger people. The brain can also have a tougher time weathering the assault of the illness, so even a healthy older adult can become mentally foggy and/or confused during an illness.
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"Caring for two parents who are living with dementia is beyond difficult and not one person has done everything right all the time," Carol Bradley Bursack writes.