I Had Alzheimer's. But I Wasn't Ready to Retire.

People are living and working longer than ever, meaning that the incidence of people in the workplace with early-onset dementia will increase, Wendy Mitchell, author of "Somebody I Used to Know," writes in the New York Times . Employers can't just write this demographic off, says Mitchell. "Loyal employees are a valuable resource. They've been trained (presumably at the expense of their employer) and have probably, in turn, trained others. They have a valuable understanding of their jobs. Employers need to realize that knowledge doesn't just disappear overnight; this is a progressive, and often slow-moving, disease." Mitchell goes on to describe her efforts to stay in the workforce and keep busy otherwise after she was diagnosed as having Alzheimer's.