In a candid new interview, Emma Heming Willis has opened up about the family's difficult decision to move her husband, actor Bruce Willis, into a specialized care facility as he lives with frontotemporal dementia.
She reveals she visits him "all the time" and that the move has allowed both Bruce and their young daughters to find stability and joy.
Daily Visits and a "Second Home" for the Family
While speaking on
the "Conversations With Cam" podcast, Emma, 47,
shared the profound positive impact of the decision made last September. She
visits Bruce, 70, daily, often for breakfast, and the family has meals together
several times a week at the residence. “We are over there all the time,” she
said. “It is our second home, and it's a place where we make memories.”
A Decision for Safety and Stability
Emma described the
choice as one of the hardest a caregiver can face but emphasized it was
necessary for everyone's well-being. “Bruce wouldn't want his two young
daughters to be clouded by his disease,” she explained, noting that their
previous home life had become restricted. “Our children are thriving, and so is
Bruce, and that is the most important.”
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Understanding Bruce's Experience: Anosognosia
Emma provided a
crucial insight into Bruce's condition, explaining he has anosognosia—a
neurological symptom where a person is unable to recognize their own illness.
“It's where your brain can't identify what is happening to it,” she said,
clarifying it is not denial but a direct effect of the disease. She finds some
relief in knowing he isn't fully aware of his decline.
Finding Joy and Maintaining Connection
Despite the
challenges, Emma focuses on maintaining joy and connection. She shared that the
new arrangement has made it easier for Bruce’s friends and family to visit
without the pressure of hosting in her own home. Holidays are still celebrated,
albeit differently. “Dementia is hard, but there is still joy in it... We
are still laughing,” she stated, famously adding that Die Hard still
counts as a Christmas movie.
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Source Information:
- For dementia caregiver
resources: The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration
- For more from Emma Heming
Willis: Make Time Wellness
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