Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson Diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Family Says

Phil Robertson’s family shares an update on their patriarch’s health.

In the edition of the magazine on Friday, December 6 No shame with the Robertson family podcast, the Duck Dynasty The alum’s son, Jase, revealed that his father is in the “early stages” of Alzheimer’s disease.

“Phil’s not well. I think I’m on the 1,000th podcast. We’ve been trying to figure out a diagnosis, but according to the doctors, they’re pretty sure he has some kind of blood disease that’s causing all kinds of problems,” he said. .

Phil Robertson and Kay Robertson.

D Dipasupil/Getty

Jase (55) added that the disease “accelerated and causes problems with the whole body”.

“He’s got early stages of Alzheimer’s. So if you put those things together, he’s just not doing well. He’s really struggling,” he added.

PEOPLE has reached out to Phil’s rep for comment.

In addition to Jase, Phil (78) is also the father of sons Al, Jep and Willie, whom he shares with his wife Kay, known as Miss Kay. Phil is also the father of a daughter named Phyllis.

Willie Robertson, Korie Robertson, Phil Robertson, Miss Kay Robertson and Si Robertson attend A+E Networks 2012 Upfront at Lincoln Center on May 9, 2012.

Michael N. Todaro/FilmMagic

Jase said his dad, who is part of the podcast but didn’t appear in the episode, wants to get back to work.

“I say, ‘Well Phil, you can barely walk around without crying in pain, and your memory isn’t what it used to be.’ He’s like, ‘Tell me about it.’ So he’s literally unable to — I think he would agree — just sit down and talk,” he said.

According to the Mayo Clinic, early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common cause of dementia, include forgetting recent events or conversations. The disease can lead to severe memory loss and over time affects a person’s ability to perform daily tasks, the organization adds.

“We’re trying to do a lot of things to figure out how to make him more comfortable and maybe help with his memory,” Jase said.

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“We have a team of doctors and then we have another set of doctors who review all the tests and they all agree that there is no cure for what he has. And so you know, what do you do? We’re trying to make him a little more comfortable,” he said.

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Source: HIS Education