Hello Friends,
I am glad that my wife with cognitive decline is still with me. Her ability to interact is far from normal complicated by aphasia. With care and patience, we can have a loving relationship, however.
She hugs me, kisses me, and responds to music; we can even dance to an old favorite song. Sometimes, she even can say I love you (with some effort).
So we are far from what things used to be, but enough of her former self surfaces to encourage me to continue with my caregiving. There isn't a reason to give up on her, though it is hard for me sometimes.
She walks okay, eats well, and is generally in good health otherwise. Her hampered communication ability emphasizes my understanding of her because she can get angry and frustrated and express it like a toddler with mischief.
Loving her and paying attention to details minimizes the challenging times and keeps her quality of life as good as it can be with the challenges of Alzheimer's/Dementia/Aphasia.