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Emma Heming Willis Publishes Caregiving Guide on Bruce WillisFTD, Sharing Hard‑Won Lessons

The book distills her experience into practical steps that double as a plea for better support for unpaid caregivers.

Overview

  • Published on Nov. 12, The Unexpected Journey (Eine ganz besondere Reise) blends memoir with guidance drawn from clinicians, support groups and other caregivers.
  • She recounts leaving the FTD diagnosis visit with no plan, following an earlier 2022 aphasia diagnosis and a confirmed frontotemporal dementia diagnosis that November.
  • Practical measures include securing all doors, adding a child lock to the stove, locking the fridge and freezer, and removing black items that people with dementia may perceive as holes.
  • Citing severe noise sensitivity that curtailed her daughters’ activities, the family moved Bruce Willis into a nearby second house with round‑the‑clock professional care.
  • Heming Willis says he can no longer communicate and she now makes decisions for him, framing the book as a lifeline for caregivers and stressing the necessity of self‑care.