There have been many funny actors in recent years but every once in a while, there is someone who seems to stand head and shoulders above the rest. One of those comedians is Tim Conway, and we have loved his humor for many years. It doesn’t matter if he is doing his bits on The Carol Burnett Show, his own show, or if he is doing Dorf, he just has a way of putting a huge smile on our face.
Conway is more than a stand-up funny man. His is also a director, writer, father and husband. With so many people who love the man, there are many who are affected when we hear any bad news about his health. As it turns out, his family has kept something under wraps for quite some time but now they are coming forward with it. It turns out that his health is declining and he is slowly being taken over by Dementia.
Recently, court documents surfaced that shed some light on the subject. The documents revealed that Kelly, his daughter, was seeking to be the conservator of her father. This would allow her to care for his health and treatments because she felt that Conway’s wife, Charlene, was not interested in keeping up with it. The documents state:
“Charlene is planning to move him out of the excellent skilled nursing facility he is currently at. And I feel the new facility will not have registered nurses at all times and his 24-hour caregiver and speech therapist to help with swallowing.”
It seems as if Conway is not able to provide for his personal needs any longer, such as feeding and clothing himself or caring for his physical health. As a result of the condition, he has become almost unresponsive.
We don’t need to look back many years to remember Conway doing what he does best. He played parts on multiple shows, including Spongebob Squarepants, Married with Children, Glee, 30 Rock, Mike & Molly, and Two and a Half Men.
Age should not be a barrier when it comes to doing what you love, but Conway needed to step back because the dementia was progressing.
Understanding Dementia
Unlike many problems we may face, dementia is not a specific illness. It is a group of symptoms that involve a decline in thinking and memory. The condition may diminish a person’s ability to perform everyday tasks. Dementia includes 7 stages:
Stage 1 – The person would still be mentally healthy. If someone has no dementia, they are considered stage 1.
Stage 2 – Mild cognitive decline. This is the normal forgetfulness we might experience with aging.
Stage 3 – Includes forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating and lowered work performance. This happens about 7 years before dementia.
Stage 4 – Early stage, Difficulty concentrating, short term memory loss, issues with finances and problems being in new locations.
Stage 5 – Moderately severe, mid-stage. This is when major memory problems are evident and the person needs help with everyday activities.
Stage 6 – Severe cognitive decline. This is when a person would need extensive assistance for everyday activities. They may forget important information, such as names of family members, and could have personality changes or difficulty speaking.
Stage 7 – Severe Cognitive Decline – This is late-stage dementia. The person requires assistance for everything and will not be able to speak or communicate. Could last for 2.5 years.