Anne Suzuki, 57, Port Washington
Helps care for her husband, Yutaka, 62, who was recently placed in an assisted-living facility
Anne Suzuki began to notice changes in her husband, Yutaka, in the late 1990s, when he became more quiet and withdrawn. In 2001, Yutaka was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The disease's progression was slow, but by last year not only did he deteriorate, he became violent. Even seeing his own image enraged him, and all of the reflective surfaces in the house had to be covered. The once sweet, gentle man -- who never raised his voice -- attacked his wife of 34 years and when she called police, they had to subdue him. Soon he was put on medication and in April was placed in an assisted-living facility. “I don’t think I’ve fully processed the violence,” Suzuki said. “I think it’s like a movie reel which I’ve put away in a big can that’s gonna sit on a shelf and get dusty, and at some point I’m gonna have to take it out and relive it. I still don’t like to sit in my kitchen and see someone looking in the mirror. It triggers those memories.” (September 2009)