CBS News correspondent Barry Petersen visits Fort Wayne to discuss Alzheimer's care

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Barry Petersen, a CBS News correspondent, visited Fort Wayne on Friday share his personal experience as a caregiver for a loved one with Alzheimer's.

Petersen was the featured speaker at the 37th annual meeting and awards ceremony for Aging & In-Home Services of Northeast Indiana (AIHS).

Barry Peterson told the story of his wife, a former television reporter, for CBS. See Jan's Story: Love and Early-Onset Alzheimer's.

Petersen's wife, Jan, began experiencing memory lapses at the age of 40. In 2005, at the age of 55, she was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

By the fall of 2007 Jan could not be left along and Peterson had to hire a live-in caregiver. The caregiver urged Petersen to care for himself or he would be unable to care for Jan.

Peterson has written the book, "Jan's Story: Love lost to the long goodbye of Alzheimer's" on his experience caring for his wife.

AIHS also announced its "Men As Caregivers" Initiative. According to statistics AIHS found, 1 in 3 caregivers is male. "Men As Caregivers" is particularly relevant as Alzheimer's disproportionately affects women due to the fact that women live longer than men.

Aging & In-Home Services of Northeast Indiana Inc. (AIHS) promotes independence, dignity and advocacy for all older adults and persons with disabilities. As the Area III Agency on Aging, AIHS is the primary resource for aging and disabled populations and the largest funder of services including support for the Council on Aging in Allen, Adams, DeKalb, Huntington, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wells and Whitley counties. In 2011, AIHS touched the lives of more than 41,000 individuals.