We have a member in our church choir that is currently progressing through dementia.

He and his wife were in the choir longer than I've been there. They came regularly until a couple of months ago. He still seemed to have his good humor most of the time, but he would have... outbursts of anger on occasion. Once he even yelled unprovoked at another choir member in church.

The two of them are no longer coming, as his situation has deteriorated. She says bringing him gives him strong anxiety and he is more comfortable being at home.

We used to have a routine before church, where I would ask him to direct the choir so i could take a break, and he would make a quip and mime busting out a trumpet, as he used to be a band teacher.

Anyway, it's not family, but I can empathize. And I agree, it seems like one of the worse ways to go, as things are. What we do, how we think, what we love and fear, are informed through our experiences. It is one of the key components that make us who we are. I would not wish the robbing of that on anyone.