Problem: (LifeWire) -- After his father was diagnosed with dementia in 1996, Anthony Lazzara Jr. faced a difficult decision: He and his wife, Gail, either could place his father, Anthony Lazzara Sr., in a facility, or they could care for him themselves.

Anthony Lazzara Jr. (right) and his wife, Gail (left), cared for Anthony Lazzara Sr. at home for eight years.

Unable to afford a care facility, the Lazzaras brought him home.

So began eight long years of caring for the World War II veteran and onetime truck driver as he slowly declined -- a burden borne largely by Gail, 56.

She fed him, bathed him and changed his diapers on a daily basis while her husband, a truck driver, was on the road.

Slowly, she says, her marriage began to crumble.

"I couldn't take my frustration out on my father-in-law," she says. Instead, she took it out on her husband.

"We almost ended up divorcing over the whole deal," says Anthony Jr., 56.

Gail concedes she considered leaving, "but I couldn't walk away from my father-in-law."

Two years ago, the Lazzaras finally threw in the towel. A bed became available at a local Veterans Affairs facility, and the elder Lazzara was admitted. He remained there until April 2008, when he died at age 95.

A difficult labor of love

As the Lazzaras can attest, the stress of caring for an elderly parent can overwhelm a relationship. Chauffeuring loved ones to appointments, handling their shopping, assuming their financial burden, even just living under the same roof can test even the most committed couples.
1. What choice does a family have when a member is diagnosed with dementia?
2. What choice did the Lazzara family make?
3. Who was diagnosed with dementia?
4. When?
5. Who largely bore the responsibility for his care?
6. How was she related to Lazzara Sr.?
7. What were some of her duties?
8. Why couldn't her husband help?
9. What was his career?
10. Did they care for Lazzara Sr. until his death?
11. When did they stop caring for him at home?
12. Where did he go, then?
13. At what age did he die?
14. In what year?
15. In what war had he served?
16. What career did he also share with his son?
17. Did it take a toll on the marriage between Gail and Anthony?
18. Did they divorce?
19. Are Gail and Anthony the same age?
20. How old are they?
21. Why didn't Gail leave the relationship?
Answer: 1. place them in a facility, or care for them themselves
2. cared for them at home
3. Anthony Lazzara Sr.
4. 1996
5. Gail
6. he was her father-in-law
7. She fed him, bathed him and changed his diapers
8. he was on the road
9. truck driver
10. no
11. Two years ago
12. a local Veterans Affairs facility
13. 95
14. 2008
15. World War II
16. truck driver
17. yes
18. no
19. yes
20. 56
21. she couldn't walk away from her father-in-law

Problem: Recently, tests have proved that Beethoven died from lead poisoning. Bill Walsh directed the Beethoven Research Project. Mr Walsh and his team examined pieces of bone belonging to Beethoven. They found a large amount of lead in the bone pieces. They said the lead levels were equal to those found in pieces of his hair in earlier studies of other scientists.

Genetic tests proved the bone pieces and hair came from Beethoven. The researchers also examined bone fragments( from someone else who lived during the same period. Both were from the top of the skull. The fragments from Beethoven had more lead than those from the other person. Their study didn't find measurable levels of cadmium or mercury , which scientists used to consider were the causes of his health problems.

Beethoven was sick for much of his life. He experienced strong stomach pains, a sign of lead poisoning, and a change of personality when he was around 20. He also got angry easily, and suffered from depression and hearing loss. His health problems became worse as Beethoven grew older.

Walsh said the lead levels found in Beethoven's skull suggested the metal might have been present in his body for many years. He said although there had been recognized cases of deafness caused by lead poisoning, there was no strong evidence to suggest that lead poisoning was the cause of Beethoven's deafness.

Ludwig van Beethoven visited many doctors to find a cure for his health problems. In a letter he wrote to a friend, he asked researchers to examine his body after he died so that other people would not have to suffer as he did.
1. What did recent tests prove about Beethoven?
2. Who directed the Beethoven research project?
3. Was Beethoven sick most of his life?
4. What were some of the symptoms he had?
5. What did scientist use to consider the cause of his health problems?
6. Did he visit lots of different doctors to find a cure?
7. What kind of evidince was there that pieces of hair other scientists studies were beethovens?
8. Did Beethoven want researched to be done so others didn't have to suffer like he did?
9. How long was did the evendince point to that the metal was in his system?
10. Did they study someone else from the same time period to see if the amounts of lead in his system was similar?
Answer:
1. He died from lead poisoning.
2. Bill Walsh.
3. Yes.
4. Stomach pains.
5. Pieces of bone.
6. Yes.
7. Genetic tests.
8. Yes.
9. Many years.
10. Yes.