AP EXCLUSIVE: Glen Campbell’s wife says he needs full-time care as Alzheimer’s progresses

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Glen Campbell’s wife has issued a statement explaining her decision to place the singer in a long-term care facility and expressing hurt over criticism of the move.

Kim Campbell told The Associated Press in an email Thursday that the 78-year-old’s Alzheimer’s disease has progressed to the point that he needs access to medical care 24 hours a day. Doctors persuaded her this spring to discontinue care at the family’s home and move him, drawing criticism from Campbell’s eldest daughter, Debby.

Kim Campbell wrote that it’s “crushingly sad” to see her husband’s health deteriorate “but indulging those feelings does not help him.”

Debby Campbell told Country Weekly magazine last week that she objected to the move and that she did not feel Campbell’s Nashville family was spending enough time with him.