Millions of Americans dread the chaos of spending the Christmas holiday with relatives and in-laws.

But Esther Blair Schiffman, whose mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at 50, and Amy Hatkoff, whose sister passed away after a 12-year battle with the memory-robbing disease, would do anything to have those moments - both good and bad - back again.

Ms Schiffman and her mother usually spend the holidays at her grandmother's home in Florida, where the whole family gathers together - but recent years have looked different.

Read more