Jack Hanna’s Diagnosis: Why Families Miss Early Dementia Signs | Premier Health (2023)

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What health issues does Jack Hannah have? ›

55KRC: Jack Hanna and Alzheimer's disease

Jack Bushnell Hanna, a retired American zookeeper and a former director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, was recently diagnosed with dementia and what is now believed by his family to be Alzheimer's disease.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Celebrity zookeeper and animal TV show host Jack Hanna has been diagnosed with dementia and will retire from public life, his family said. In a news release Wednesday, his family added that it's believed he now has Alzheimer's disease that has quickly progressed in the last few months.

Early diagnosis allows for prompt access to medications and medical attention. Receiving a diagnosis can also help in the management of other symptoms which may accompany the early stage of dementia, such as depression or irritability.

Hanna's wife, Suzi, the daughters said, is recovering from “major surgery” as a result of “life-long challenges from her childhood leukemia.” The family asked for privacy “to keep everyone safe in light of COVID-19 restrictions.”

Jack Hanna, in full Jack Bushnell Hanna, byname Jungle Jack, (born January 2, 1947, Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.), American zoologist who served as director of the Columbus (Ohio) Zoo (1978–92) and became a well-known animal expert through his frequent television appearances.

She continues to be his rock (and ours, too). We have great respect and admiration for Mom as we move through not only this difficult time with Dad, but also Julie's continued life-long challenges from her childhood leukemia, as she is currently recovering from major surgery.

The Hannas have been married for over 50 years and have three daughters, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

SUZI Egli has been married to legendary animal expert Jack Hanna for more than five decades. It was revealed in April of 2021 that Hanna has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

76 years (January 2, 1947)

Jack Hanna / Age

Is Jack Hanna's wife okay? ›

Suzi Egli

Jack Hanna / Wife (m. 1968)

Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of early-onset dementia and may affect around 1 in 3 younger people with dementia.

Memory loss that disrupts daily life

One of the most common signs of Alzheimer's disease, especially in the early stage, is forgetting recently learned information.

Presumably, physicians were reluctant to make the diagnosis of dementia because of concerns about the potential negative impact of that diagnosis on a patient and their families; thus, they endorsed deferring a diagnosis until they were more certain.

And then came Julie, who lives in Dublin. Suzi never complained when Jack would bring home a new lion, chimpanzee, goat, dog or other animal.

His family's 20 acre farm sat on the corner of Ebenezer and Kingston Pike in West Knoxville. "Ebenezer was a gravel road, a little tiny gravel road. Growing up there was special.

It was named Elk Cabin because it sits on an old elk farm in Montana, just outside Bigfork, but since he shares this secluded retreat with his wife Suzi, they call it their “Honeymoon Suite.”

At 74, Hanna is of average age for dementia.

In addition to accreditation achieved through ZAA, the Columbus Zoo was awarded accreditation by Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks & Aquariums (AMMPA), an international association and accrediting body specializing in marine mammals.

While his retirement from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium officially begins on January 1, 2021, the contributions he has made to the organization after serving as both director and director emeritus for 42 years will have long-lasting, positive impacts.

Where is Julie Hannah from? ›

Hanna was born in Sohag, Egypt.

Jack Hanna

Jack Hanna

Jack and his wife, Suzi, live in central Ohio and have three daughters, six grandchildren, and a yellow Labrador.

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium - Jack Hanna.

Letterman led off Hanna's final appearance with a guessing game: How many times had Hanna appeared on the show in 30 years? The answer is 102. Letterman said only sportscaster Marv Albert and actor/host Regis Philbin made more.

Loss of neuronal connections and cell death

In Alzheimer's disease, as neurons are injured and die throughout the brain, connections between networks of neurons may break down, and many brain regions begin to shrink.

Evidence supporting the MIND diet comes from observational studies of more than 900 dementia-free older adults, which found that closely following the MIND diet was associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease and a slower rate of cognitive decline.

Chris Hemsworth is taking a break from acting after discovering his high Alzheimer's risk.

While dementia is a general term, Alzheimer's disease is a specific brain disease. It is marked by symptoms of dementia that gradually get worse over time. Alzheimer's disease first affects the part of the brain associated with learning, so early symptoms often include changes in memory, thinking and reasoning skills.

What causes dementia? ›

Dementia is caused by damage to or loss of nerve cells and their connections in the brain. Depending on the area of the brain that's damaged, dementia can affect people differently and cause different symptoms.

Animal and wildlife expert Jack Hanna is retiring from public life following an aggressive battle with dementia. A retired zookeeper and a director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Hanna is famous for his many appearances with his animal friends on various television shows over the years.

Currently, the Zoo has a staff of four veterinarians and is home to more than 10,000 animals, which demonstrated a real need for expansion.

What is Jack Hanna's Net Worth and Salary? Jack Hanna is an American zookeeper and author who is the Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Jack Hanna has a net worth of $2.5 million dollars. Jack Hanna worked at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium from 1978 to 2020.

Now the zoo's vice president of animal programs, Rapp, 56, spends the closest thing to an average work day nurturing sick animals, especially cheetahs, and bouncing around from one exhibit to another, making sure that all of her programs are running smoothly.

According to research, an unhealthy diet makes a senior like you vulnerable to the cognitive impairment brought by dementia. In fact, a well-established study about diet implicates sugar as the major culprit in increasing your risk to develop the disease.

The Mini-Cog test.

A third test, known as the Mini-Cog, takes 2 to 4 minutes to administer and involves asking patients to recall three words after drawing a picture of a clock. If a patient shows no difficulties recalling the words, it is inferred that he or she does not have dementia.

They tend to get less deep or 'slow-wave' sleep, which helps to keep the brain healthy and refreshed. Even though a person with dementia may end up sleeping more than a typical person of their age – even as much as 14–15 hours a day – it is unlikely to all be good quality sleep.

What is the number one symptom of dementia? ›

Sign 1: Memory loss that affects day-to-day abilities

However, a person living with dementia may forget things more often or may have difficulty recalling information that has recently been learned.

Depression. The symptoms of depression are often mistaken for dementia. It is not easy to define the symptoms because many people with dementia develop signs of depression, such as feelings of low self-esteem and confidence, tearfulness and appetite, concentration and memory problems.

Some risk factors for dementia, such as age and genetics, cannot be changed. But researchers continue to explore the impact of other risk factors on brain health and prevention of dementia.

Jack Hanna

SUZI Egli has been married to legendary animal expert Jack Hanna for more than five decades. It was revealed in April of 2021 that Hanna has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

Jack is a very caring, kind, compassionate person.

Jack Hanna, Director Emeritus

His memorable appearances on Good Morning America and the Late Show with David Letterman, as well as his own Emmy® winning TV programs, have provided Jack and the Columbus Zoo the platform to educate a global audience about the natural world.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jack Hanna and his wife Suzi have been married for more than 50 years. But there has been another “Suzi” in his life for nearly that long. “Oh my gosh, I worked with that man for 40 years,” says Suzi Rapp, Vice President of Animal Programs at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.