Phil Robertson, the patriarch of the “Duck Dynasty” family, is facing severe health challenges following his Alzheimer’s diagnosis. On the April 2 episode of the “Unashamed with the Robertson Family” podcast, his sons, Jase and Al Robertson, alongside their cousin Zach Dasher, candidly discussed Phil’s deteriorating health. Jase shared that Phil is now receiving professional care as his condition worsens.
“The No. 1 question I get everywhere I go [is], ‘How’s your dad doing?’ Now, I’m just giving the blunt truth. I say, ‘Not good,'” Jase revealed.
Zach, who recently visited Phil, found the experience emotionally overwhelming. “I pulled in when Zach was coming out, and I was like, ‘How’d that go?'” Jase recalled. “And Zach just lost it, you know, and I kind of realized in that moment when you’re in these battles day by day, you kind of compartmentalize everything just so you can deal with it.”
Zach elaborated on the heartache of seeing Phil’s decline, especially since he had not visited in a few months.
“I think when you’re in it like you guys are, you’re seeing the fade. But I hadn’t been around or seen him in a few months. So I come in and it’s like, ‘Whoa,'” he said.
The family emphasized the difficulty of watching a loved one suffer from Alzheimer’s, a sentiment many can relate to. “I’ve said this a lot, but I think anyone in our audience who’s gone through it will resonate with them — that it steals the memories of the ones who have the disease,” Zach added. “But for me, it also steals the memory of the ones caring for the people who have the disease, because you’re seeing this slow progression over time, and it’s just hard to watch.”
Jase thanked their supporters for their prayers and shared that Phil’s health has been in decline since December, noting that his father was in the “early stages of Alzheimer’s” at the time.
Phil’s declining health struggles
“It’s like accelerated, and it’s causing problems with his entire body. And he has early stages of Alzheimer’s.
So, if you put those things together, he’s really not doing well. He’s struggling,” Jase said in December. Willie Robertson, another of Phil’s sons, disclosed additional health issues his father is facing.
“He’s got a blood disorder, and then he’s got the mental issues that could be early onset Alzheimer’s … and probably some mini-strokes because of his blood,” Willie explained. “And so, it could be some stroke stuff happening, that has happened. So, we’re still checking on all that.
But then he also has a back issue. He’s fractured his back and that’s where the pain’s at. So, he’s kind of battling many different things at the same time.”
Adding to the family’s struggles, their mother, Miss Kay, has been dealing with her own health issues.
She has been recovering in the hospital from an infection following a fall. “We were kind of dealing with the fact that this was it,” Jase said, but noted that she was improving. The Robertson family continues to navigate these tough times with the support of their fans and community.
Phil Robertson gained widespread recognition from the reality television series “Duck Dynasty,” which aired on A&E from 2012 to 2017. The show followed the family business, Duck Commander, which manufactures products for duck hunters, primarily a duck call named Duck Commander.
