Editing Ronald Reagan (section)

===Alzheimer's disease===
Reagan's final public speech occurred on February 3, 1994, during a tribute to him in Washington, D.C.; his last major public appearance was at the [[Death and state funeral of Richard Nixon#Funeral service|funeral of Richard Nixon]] on April 27, 1994.{{sfn|Woodard|2012|pp=181–182}} In August 1994, Reagan was diagnosed with [[Alzheimer's disease]], which he announced through a handwritten letter in November.{{sfn|Cannon|2000|p=xiv}} There was speculation over how long he had demonstrated symptoms of mental degeneration,<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/healthreport/president-ronald-reagans-alzheimers-disease/3419232 |title=President Ronald Reagan's Alzheimer's Disease |date=June 7, 2004 |access-date=January 7, 2008 |publisher=Radio National }}</ref> but lay observations that he suffered from Alzheimer's while still in office have been disputed by medical experts;<ref>{{cite web|date=October 5, 1997|title=Reagan's doctors deny covering up Alzheimer's His mental status in office never in doubt, they say|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1997-10-05-1997278112-story.html|access-date=April 20, 2021|website=The New York Times|via=[[The Baltimore Sun]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Altman|first=Lawrence K.|date=February 21, 2011|title=When Alzheimer's Waited Outside the Oval Office|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/health/views/22reagan.html|url-status=live|access-date=May 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501061551/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/health/views/22reagan.html|archive-date=May 1, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="sr"/> his doctors said that he first began exhibiting overt symptoms of the illness in late 1992<ref name="NYT_2004/06/15">{{Cite news|last=Altman|first=Lawrence K.|date=June 15, 2004|title=The Doctors World; A Recollection of Early Questions About Reagan's Health|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/15/health/the-doctor-s-world-a-recollection-of-early-questions-about-reagan-s-health.html|url-status=live|access-date=May 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501060002/https://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/15/health/the-doctor-s-world-a-recollection-of-early-questions-about-reagan-s-health.html|archive-date=May 1, 2021}}</ref> or 1993.<ref name="sr"/> Over time, the disease destroyed Reagan's mental capacity. By 1997, he was reported to recognize few people other than his wife, though he continued to walk through parks and on beaches, play golf, and visit his office in nearby [[Century City]].<ref name="sr">{{Cite news|last=Altman|first=Lawrence K|date=October 5, 1997|title=Reagan's Twilight&nbsp;– A special report; A President Fades Into a World Apart|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/05/us/reagan-s-twilight-a-special-report-a-president-fades-into-a-world-apart.html|url-status=live|access-date=May 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501062254/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/05/us/reagan-s-twilight-a-special-report-a-president-fades-into-a-world-apart.html|archive-date=May 1, 2021}}</ref> Eventually, his family decided that he would live in quiet semi-isolation with his wife.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0103/04/lklw.00.html|title=Nancy Reagan Reflects on Ronald|publisher=CNN|date=March 4, 2001|access-date=April 6, 2007|archive-date=October 23, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023204041/http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0103/04/lklw.00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> By the end of 2003, Reagan had lost his ability to speak and was mostly confined to his bed, no longer able to recognize family members.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://people.com/premium/the-long-goodbye/|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230604160258/https://people.com/premium/the-long-goodbye/|archive-date = June 4, 2023|title = The Long Goodbye|magazine = [[People (magazine)|People]]|date = December 4, 2003|accessdate = June 4, 2023}}</ref>