Daily Life
Wendy Mitchell teaches me how to live with Alzheimer's
Article no. 36 · July 8, 2026 · Updated September 20, 2026 ·
Most books about Alzheimer's are written by doctors, researchers, or relatives. Wendy Mitchell did something significantly more unusual. She wrote while the disease slowly changed her own brain. Her books are therefore not just poignant stories – they are handbooks on how to continue living a rich and independent life despite a dementia diagnosis.
When British Wendy Mitchell was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and vascular dementia in 2014, she was 58 years old. She had worked in the British healthcare system, but now she herself became a patient.
Instead of withdrawing, she began to write.
The result was three acclaimed books: Somebody I Used to Know (2018), where she describes life after the diagnosis, What I Wish People Knew About Dementia (2022), which explains how the disease is actually experienced by those living with it, and One Last Thing (2023), a personal book about the end of life, self-determination, and dignity.
Together, they form a unique document of what it's like to live with a brain that is gradually changing.
Small solutions can make a big difference
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Wendy Mitchell's books is not her description of the disease but her practical solutions.
She realized early on that her memory could no longer be trusted. Therefore, she stopped trying to remember everything.
Instead, she built a home that helped her remember. Keys, glasses, and wallet always had the same place. Cabinets were labeled. The calendar became an external memory, and mobile phone reminders a constant companion.
She didn't try to defeat the disease.
She learned to live with it.
Routines save brainpower
Wendy often returned to the importance of routines.