Phil Robertson, leader of the clan who appears on the A&E reality television show Duck DynastyHe was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. TMZ reports the development, which was published in Friday’s edition of the Shame on the Robertson family Podcast in which Robertson himself did not appear. Roberton’s son Jase informed the audience that his father was in the early stages of the disease and also suffered from a type of blood disease that “causes all sorts of problems,” they said People.

“When you put those things together, he’s just not doing well,” Jase said of his father. “He’s really struggling.” The 55-year-old said his father wanted to go back to work, but it didn’t seem to be an option at the moment. “I’m thinking, ‘Well, Phil, you can barely walk around without screaming in pain and… your memory isn’t what it used to be,'” Jase said on the podcast. “He says, ‘Tell me about it.’ So he’s literally incapable – I think he would agree – of just sitting down and having a conversation.”

In the meantime, the family seems to be doing what they can to help the patriarch during this difficult time. “We have a team of doctors and then a group of doctors looking at all the tests and they all agree that there is no cure for his disease,” Jase said. “And you know, what do you do? We’re trying to make him a little more comfortable.” Jase added that family members are also trying to preserve his memory as much as possible. More here. (More stories from Phil Robertson.)