An Intellectually Disabled Senior with Dementia (And Her Caregiving Brother) 

She has a light around her. Her smile is contagious.

The language Jessica uses when talking about Kay is so inclusive and thoughtful. “When WE forget..” etcetera. Thank you for featuring someone with dementia.

Kay is a darling woman. Dementia is such a scary and trying condition. I wish her and her family the best.

“Youre cryin gerald. Need a kleenex?” Omfg how can someone be so sweet yet so sassy at the same time?? I love her

I love Kay! What a sweet and beautiful lady! ❤

the way she comforts gerald when he’s getting emotional is so sweet

The only thing that caught me off guard in this is the fact that the daughters are named America and liberty 😅

I love the brother. As the mother of a child with disabilities, it is alot to ask for an adult child to give up their own life to take care of their sibling. Thank goodness for people like him!

I love her laugh! You can tell that her brother lives her so much!

We all need a Kay in our lives🤗 I am 49 and was blessed from a toddler to be around amazing ladies like Kay. I grew up in So Cal in the 70's and there was a older couple in our church who had a mentally challenged adult daughter. Instead of putting her in a institution/hospital as many people did in the 50's-60's, they decided to open their large home to others like her. I spent so much time into my teens with the ladies, they thought I was their lil doll😊 The family home is still around to this day. I became a nanny for a teenage girl who was mentally about 3 and it was very rewarding. Then my career as a flight attendant put me around so many wonderful smiling faces like Kay.

It’s never easy to be caretakers to a disabled adult. There are challenges which try the patience of even the most loving and supportive of people. The key is cooperation and coordination. The entire family works together to keep Kay active, feeling needed, clean and happy. It’s a privilege to watch them tell their story. I’m so impressed by the mature and caring attitude Liberty and America have toward their aunt. This helps Jessica stay positive as she does the bulk of the caregiving. I hope this family has some outside help in order for them to get away and decompress from time to time. Wishing them all the best. 🌹

To Gerald: The term “retard” isn’t offensive because it’s too straightforward; it’s offensive because people often use it in a hurtful way, so it became known as a hurtful word. It’s fine to be straightforward about disabilities! In fact most of us prefer it 🥰

It makes me so happy to see this interview. This only proves that intellectually disabled people don't need to be put in institutions. She has a good quality of life, she lights up the enviroment around her, she teaches her nieces to be good people... just so happy to see her happy. Hope in the future we will be able to have intellectually disabled people aging with quality and happiness.

Thank God she had family to go to once her Mom passed away ❤. Many older adults with learning disabilities end up in nursing homes after their parents become unable or pass away.

It's a blessing that she was never put into a institution. We know that during the time she was a young child and even a young adult, many families were pressured to place their children into institutions bc there wasnt much support, understanding, and knowledge about these conditions or disabilities. Kay is very lucky to have had her mother who was dedicated to caring for her. And now her brother, sister in law and nieces, as they are lucky to have her

When I read the title I was expecting a woman who couldn't communicate much, but Key is delightfully communicative. She's a gem.

What an absolutely sweet lady! When she was talking about her mom passing away, and told her not to die because we need you. Wow, that really made me feel sad. I'm happy Kay has an awesome brother, and sister-in-law, that cares about her immensely 🙏🙂

Kay is so sensitive to her brother's feelings, she knows exactly when he needs a hug. So touching...♥

I'm glad to see an interview with older folks who were born with disabilities. Kay's sweet demeanor reminds me of my neighbor who is a disabled adult in her forties. We can easily turn a quick trip ro the mailbox into an hour long conversation. These people are just as wise as their more typical peers and have a thing or two to teach us about slowing down, being realistic, and yet finding joy in every part of life.

I loved how Kay's nieces immediately knew how to help her so she could answer Chris's questions. The whole family seems so great

She gave him a hug when she noticed he was crying 😢 that was so sweet

The love Gerald is showing Kay is amazing. Thank you for the video.

What a beautiful soul her brother is to take and look over his sister 💞💙

Kudos to her sister in law for taking special care of this sweet lady.

She's a good crowd. Seriously. If I was to ever do stand up comedy. I want her in the front row.

😭 I am such a "cry baby"... Seeing Gerald tear up talking about his sister just makes my heart explode with joy. It appears that being "special" is different; the bonds made with loved ones are so strong words can't define it.

This is what America Needs...... strong, devoted families, like this one. I wish Gerald would write a book about their family :)

The “…31?” Made me laugh she is so sweet

Kay is so happy, seeing her joy makes me happy! A little tip for communicating with people with dementia I learned from when my nana was in the last stages of dementia: Asking a direct question can sometimes be too confronting because they might feel put on the spot and the might feel insecure about forgetting a lot and they might clamp up or lash out because of it, whereas if you prompt them with a memory of your own they'll start sharing stories that are related to the topic. So instead of asking: Did you have any pets? You can say: When I grew I had a dog namesd Felix and he would always chase a ball with with stars. And they'll naturally start sharing stories about their pets or a neighbors pet they remember.

Her laugh is so fun. Seniors are so precious I love Kay so much, she's such a sweet little lady. ❤️❤️

This is such a great interview. Love seeing light put on older individuals with disabilities. She is an absolute joy. She saw immediately when her brother got sad and gave him love

I liked hearing Kay’s brother talk about how the words have changed over the years, it helped me gain a new perspective- I’m a lot younger than him, so I’ve only ever heard the r word being used as a slur against me and people like me, so I tend to feel automatically afraid of people who use it, but it’s nice to see that some folks genuinely don’t mean it that way :) I’ll keep that context in mind next time im talking with an older person about this stuff

Chris' joke was hilarious. This senior's laughter was infectious. Kay is loved 😍 💖 💕She has a clear memory of her mother. 🎉Gerald is great but his wife is extraordinary. It takes a lot of love

One of my most favourite videos and families on this channel! Aunt Kay's laughter is contagious! The girls are amazing, she is super lucky to have them (and they are super lucky to have her!). Her brother seems to be a very warm and good-hearted man. And the brother's wife - all respect to her. Embrancing the whole situation so beautifully. She is a pure angel and I wanna be like her. What a role model to her kids! Greetings from Poland and lots of love to them all!

You're a lovely lady, Kay. You have a very nice family too!

Brother loves her so much! I wish them more happiness and love!

The way she keeps holding his hand oh my god my heart

Her brother is such a wonderful person to take care of her and he loves her alot her smile and laugh make me hsppy

Oh I loved this interview.. As an able bodied person, living in an abled bodied family, I've never really thought about seniors with disabilities. I guess they're portrayed very little on media. As always, after watching an episode of SBSK, I feel that I've gained valuable insight. Kris what you do, the way you do it is absolutely phenomenal. The way you can connect with everybody, no matter their limitations, warms my heart and inspires me deeply, to be more patient and kind in my everyday life. Kay is such a sweetheart and she's lucky to have such a loving sister in law and for her brother of course. ps. I want Gerald's shirt😆

I think this is the quickest I've ever 'happy cried' in a video.

Kay is a doll! She seems like a lot of fun to be around. You’re doing a great job sister-in-law and brother!

I think time itself found her as a child and thought she was perfect and held her in it's arms to keep her the same.

What a sweet lady. Her laugh and smile are infectious.

(As i'm typing this i'm using Text to Speech on keyboard but sometimes I use digital braille) As a person who's blind and intellectual myself and lives in a world where I'm in a teenager's body but i'm stuck on age 8 to 9 I say maybe she is a happy person who lives in a world full of joy I just hope people on the internet will understand and stop making jokes about it that's the sad part people don't want to accept us and they'd rather not know the truth that it's just life it's what God gives us that we should be grateful for.

Thank you for showing someone older with disabilities! My grandma has physical disabilities and I have epilepsy and POTS and we take care of each other and I always wondered how much people like her aren’t featured on here. Of course I know it’s usually special kids not seniors. But my grandma is mostly deaf and mostly immobile and she acquired both of these disabilities as she got older so it’s a unique point of view. So please continue to feature older people

8:16 I want to cherish this moment. So sweet. 🙂

Kay reminds me so much of my old neighbor when i lived across town, she even looks like her. She passed away several years ago. But her family was not kind to her. Thank God Kay has her brother and his family.

Kay is delightful! I love how easy she laughs and smiles. She’s very engaging, sweet and sensitive. What a beautiful family. And I also think it’s a lovely tribute to their dear Mom, too.

Already love the beginning

Wish I could see this sister and brother when they were young. Their love for one another is palatable. 🙏🥰blessed are those who get to experience it.

You could see how the daughters totally mirror the parents’ kindness. Jessica holds the family together.

She is happy within herself, which is more than most people.

like, seriously, the first 30 seconds, she can tell he's emotional, and tkes his hand to comfort him. love is all we need.

Aww, every time her brother pauses because of his emotions, she gives a reassuring laugh to let him know that it is ok to let his guard down & to express his emotions freely.

She is absolutely adorable, and her brother and his wife are awesome people.

Also I feel sorry for her loss to her little brother. She will definitely remember him until the very end. ❤ she loves him so much

Kay is awesome. And so is her brother and his wife!

Seconds in and i already love her and her relationship with her brother. The way she grabbed his hands. Wholesome man❤

My goodness there is so much LOVE in this family!

I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone genuinely laugh at the knock knock banana joke lol!! She is just precious. ❤

I love her laugh so much. Beautiful girl ❤️

Wow, she is a very happy and amazing person.

Her smile makes me smile

She is so frigging sweet and cute. I started tearing up with her brother within the first minute. I love this ❤❤🙏🏻

I worked with a patient years ago that laughed constantly. He was very small and frail amnd he laughed just like a wicked witch from a kids movie....He kept us laughoing all day and was the sweetest soul. We were his family as he had no one else . Hes gone now and we miss him dearly. ❤❤❤

What absolute angels for taking car of thier sister who other wise can’t do it for herself. She is an blessing to them!

I could watch these folks all day. What a sweet family.

Her laughter is contagious. God bless her brother and his wife I'm sure their mom is very proud. ❤

i absolutely love to see the nieces immediately jump into leading their aunt in questions. they are so understanding and supportive, that its just natural.

that is love. He has a big heart and so does she. So beautiful to watch made me tear up. She is easy to love I can imagine caring would come with knowing her.

I love the brothers shirt lmao The love they show for their Mom really gutted me. Thats so nice to hear/see.

Gerald and Jessica. Beautiful human beings.❤️ Kay, you are lovely.

I envy her contagious laugh and forgetting her age . She's very lucky to be in such a loving environment !

Kay is amazing. Gerald has so much love in his eyes when he talks about her.

What a beautiful family ❤❤❤ every one of them is so amazing. Kay is such a beautiful soul with the most amazing brother and sister-in-law in the world. They are wonderful

Such a sweetheart of a brother and his family. It proves that money can’t buy integrity and character.

Her brother is just a beautiful man inside and out the love and relationship these siblings have for eachother is inspiring thank you for this video!

Beautiful caring and loving family. Kay still remembers her younger brother who died and the flowers. Wow, her mother was a remarkable woman to raise all her children, moving with them for her husbands work, their survival as migrants. One of lifes beautuful mums and wife. She'd be so proud of her son! God bless this beautiful family.

She has the most wonderful infectious laugh! I love the way she and her brother looks at each other with so much admiration and love 💓

Blessings for Kay; Gerald and his wife

I LOVE KAY!!!!!! Omg what an absolute treat of a human ❤

It's so sweet how much Gerald loves Kay, how Jessica takes care of her and is her best friend, and her nieces include her. They're going great helping Kay. I was a med tech at a memory care facility and I know how hard it can be.

Kay is awfully blessed to have a brother like Gerald . A caretaker is not an easy life . I did it for my mom when she was with hospice but for someone you love you just do it .

Her laugh is so contagious good God I love this lady ❤❤❤

Bless her heart, I just hope someone tells me she’s been happy all her life. I wanna give this sweet beautiful woman a huge hug.

Dear Big Brother, your mother would be so very proud of you

I feel for Kay's family. My grandmother had dementia at the end of her life. It was heartbreaking to experience the decline of her cognitive abilities. But Kay is so bright, and hasn't a care in the world that she has been diagnosed with Dementia. Zero worries. God bless her and her caring, beautiful family.

What a wonderful priceless brother.....❤ And kay is blessed❤

Kay’s nieces seem so bright and mature. What a beautiful family. Kay is such a bright spirit.

Oh her laugh is so joyous. ❤

This is one of my most favorite interviews. Kay is so lovely and seems kind spirited. Gerald and Jessica are patient, loving angels. May God bless this family and always lift them up.❤

When I was in year 9, my school offered an after-school activity in which we went to a retirement home with a group of students and spent time with the elderly every Monday. I met a lot of amazing people like Kay there. One woman stuck out cause she was one of the rare cases of dementia, with which the person consciously realizes that they’re having it and how they’re losing their memory. That caused her to suffer from depression. She cried a lot and often times we would just sit with her and play with her, talk to her or go for a walk with her when she was deeply in a depressed episode. She had a huge family, but never had any of them visiting her, which made her depression even worse. And that’s why I‘m so happy that Kay has such a loving and caring family. The way she laughs and smiles just tells me that she’s happy about being with her family and seeing how much her family cares for her moved me to tears. The woman in the retirement home told me and the other students: „I may lose my memory, but the feeling of being truly happy and feeling loved, I will never lose that.“ And I think that’s what we should remind ourselves of: if we know a person with dementia or have a family member with dementia, they still need our love and care, they still need us, even though it might be challenging for us to accept that our loved one is losing their memory. They need us. Love always wins!

Kay is such a sweetheart. One of my aunts has dimentia and alzheimer's. She doesnt remember anyone or anything now. Its heartbreaking to see her in the condition she is now vs how she was before her illnesses took over her mind and body. She became agressive and had to be placed in a nursing home where she has now 24/7 care and doctors and nurses. She is well cared for but Its hard for my mom and I to visit because we dont have transportation and its a bit far from us where she is at...so we get to visit her when ever my moms brother and wife go, they pick us up along with another uncle and we all go together. But it gets emotional because she hardly talks now and just stares at people like babies do. She needs to be hand fed and she cant walk. She can sit in a wheel chair for a while before they have to put her in bed again. I left in tears last time I went to see her. I do find some confort in knowing that she is being well taken care of and she eats very well and that is super important. Anyway just wanted to share that, be safe everyone.✌️

Kay has the most delightful personality. Gotta love her!

She’s a gentle delightful kind soul .full of joy and happiness.

Her laugh is contagious. It’s beautiful.

I love everything about this story. I loved watching Kay's face as her nieces speak so positively about her. They will so much more compassionate adults for having this experience of loving their auntie.

This makes me feel sad as heck. But it's Really cool of Gerald to take care of Kay instead of sending her away some place where she will be at risk of mistreatment. She is the best place she could be. With family.

Beautiful soul. ❤

The lucid time before the end are so so precious, it becomes immensely difficult when that time is up and your loved one's personality disappears. Precious, precious time.