Slightly aside of the point being made in the article, but when nursing elderly people, some with various types of dementia, we sometimes explained dementia as "brain failure" - failure of an organ, like heart or kidney. Sometimes it helped to think of it as a disease like any other, although it has the horrible effect of taking away personality and memories, long before taking away life itself. Sorry if that sounds morbid - it's not meant to upset anyone. Later, when one of my grandfathers had dementia, it helped me to think of it like that.
In the meantime, I agree with the sentiment to live every day to the full.