Neil Rogers' friend and attorney, Norm Kent, released an update today on his condition.
"Neil did not go to a hospice to recover. Doctors tell us there is no reason to believe he necessarily will," Kent reports.
Here is Kent's complete statement on Rogers:
Sunday, December 12, 2010 3 p.m.
In an attempt to dispel rumors, rely on facts and enhance public awareness, the following statement is being released to the media.Over the past few weeks, many fans and listeners of Neil Rogers have followed his medical condition closely. I have tried to provide daily updates, but I now see that will be too trying. Neil did not go to a hospice to recover. Doctors tell us there is no reason to believe he necessarily will. You see, he faces more than heart issues.
Just as Ronald Reagan had the courage to tell America a quarter of a century ago that he was an American afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease, so too must I share with you that Neil Rogers is suffering from progressive vascular dementia, a very common form of dementia characterized by blockages in the blood supply to the brain, which lead to neurological symptoms.
The complications associated with Neil’s diabetes and the corresponding stroke, have functionally impaired his cognitive abilities. He is not always aware of his circumstances and surroundings. The progressive deterioration and decline has been rapid; significant since Thanksgiving.
Neil is also suffering presently from ‘Sundowners Syndrome,’ also known as sundowning. It is a symptom often associated with the early stages of dementia, including Alzheimer’s. It is an uncomfortable sleep and mood disorder which causes sufferers to experience periods of extreme agitation and confusion during the late afternoon or early evening hours, leading to irritability towards even caregivers or hospital staff.
Far from being alone, Neil is on a daily basis surrounded by his longest and most loyal intimate friends and acquaintances. He has 24 hour around the clock nursing care, and he has also, when lucid, been buoyed by multiple colleagues in the broadcast industry reaching out to him, stirring nostalgic remembrances of days that once were.
We thank you, his fans and friends, for your outpouring of support and affection, as well as your charming online tributes to Neil’s influence in your life, but there is no reason for further daily updates. It is time to move on.
Together then, let’s use this time to raise public awareness of a disease that places an ever so heavy burden on family and friends, not to mention the suffering it may impose on those so afflicted, whether you were a President or pontificator.
Doctors say vascular dementia is even preventable, especially if people start engaging in preventative care at a young age and stay committed to maintaining their general physical health as we mature.
Neil Rogers has been an outstanding talent, whose voice on the radio spoke for every workingman who ever wanted to rail against his bosses or mediocrity. He has been a remarkable and incisive social critic, armed with an incredible memory, biting wit, and tempered, measured humor. But this is not his eulogy, as he is still very much alive, though not fully the person he once was.
As you remember him, recall what he used to say- “It’s only a radio show”. Hopefully, in those hours on the air he taught all of us to press on in our daily lives with an abiding sense of wit and humor. Today, though, he is a patient in a hospice, asking that you respect his privacy and dignity. Visits and calls are no longer appropriate.
In closing, let me say that it has been a privilege to serve as agent and counsel for Neil Rogers for over a quarter of a century.
As we have seen, the same foibles, faults, and flaws affecting all human beings have at times humbled Neil.
As demanding as he was, he only sought professionalism on the air and loyalty in his personal life.
As ballistic and bellicose and belligerent as he was on the air, so too was he remarkably generous, beneficent, and tame in his personal life.
As much of a star as Neil may have been, so too can you be a star in your own life for your friends, your family and those in need. Make every day count.
Law Offices of Norm Kent
Kent and Cormican P.A.
110 Southeast 6th Street Suite 1970
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
(954) 763 1900
www.normkent.com
Read more:
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/12/friends-surround-ailing-radio-talk-host-neil-rogers-seek-to-raise-awareness-of-vascular-dementia.html#ixzz17y7Ppi9J
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