Kimberly Williams-Paisley on Her Mother's Struggles With Primary Progressive Aphasia

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Kimberly Williams-Paisley Talks PPA

Actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley explains her family's struggles with primary progressive aphasia.

Kimberly Williams-Paisley of "Nashville" and "According to Jim" has always had a passion for acting, but now she's got another passion: helping families care for loved ones who have been diagnosed with a form of dementia known as primary progressive aphasia, or PPA.

Williams-Paisley's mother was diagnosed with PPA in her early sixties, and as Kimberly explains, there's no cure or treatment for the disorder.

"It progresses over a period of years. It's different for many different patients, but it's similar to Alzheimer's in that the end kind of looks the same," she tells FNM.

In caring for her mother, Williams-Paisley realized just how difficult the familial and financial responsibilities can be, which is why she soon partnered with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and InsureUonline.org to try and help those in similar situations.

"It's always a challenge when there's a diagnosis of dementia, for the family, to wrap their heads around it and to figure out care-giving responsibilities," explains Williams-Paisley. "The NAIC has a great website that helps consumers ask the right questions — not only about those kinds of things like end-of-life care and stuff like that, but financial and insurance questions.

"They help advocate for consumers in navigating that complicated world," she adds.

To learn more about Williams-Paisley and her partnership, watch her entire interview above.