Barbara Walters health explored amid reports of 93-year old being a shadow of herself

Barbara Walters is seemingly in her final days as she battles advanced dementia while living a reclusive life in her NYC apartment.

According to insiders, the journalist is a "shadow of herself." She doesn't seem to remember the day or even her famous friends and former colleagues.

Walters, who made her last public appearance in 2016, has apparently been succumbing to her age. With fewer visitors since the pandemic, the former TV personality finds herself surrounded by her caretakers.

A source revealed that "everyone is fearing for the worst" and that Barbara Walters hardly ever leaves her bed.

Barbara Walters turned 93 on September 26, 2022, and was celebrated by her ex-colleagues at The View.

Whoopi Goldberg, Walters' former co-host, wished her well on Monday's episode, and joked saying, "27 never looked so good."

However, many viewers were concerned about her health after the episode, especially given her advanced age.

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Barbara Walters' slow descent into dementia

The legendary newscaster boasted a decades-long career when she retired in 2014. In 1974, she was the first woman to co-host an American news program and created The View in 1997, where she was a panelist until her retirement.

Barbara Walters publicly confirmed that she would be undergoing an aortic valve replacement in May 2010. She announced that she would be having surgery to "replace one faulty heart valve." She added that a lot of people have had the surgery and that she knew about the condition for a while.

Walters was told that unless she had open-heart surgery, her chances of survival in two years were slim. She was back on the morning show four months after her surgery.

In January 2013, while covering President Barack Obama's second inauguration in Washington, D.C., Barbara Walters lost her footing at a party and fell down the stairs. She was hospitalized for a cut on her forehead, and shortly after that, the broadcasting legend had chicken pox.

During Barbara's hospitalization, Whoopi Goldberg announced on The View that the former was running a temperature. She added that Walters had chicken pox.

While neither Barbara Walters nor her representatives have publicly confirmed her dementia, reports from former colleagues have suggested that she had trouble remembering people. They also added that her memory had become cloudy since 2013.

In 2019, Jenny McCarthy, who was briefly with The View, shared that she saw Barbara looking at her with a confused expression. As the segment went on to a commercial, McCarthy, who tackled trending pop culture news, added:

"She said, ‘Who is it that you’re talking about and why are you bringing her up?’ I’m, like, ‘That’s Katy Perry. You interviewed her last week!’"

Sources revealed that Walters' condition has worsened since retirement. According to Walters' caretakers, her mind often turns off like a "blank screen on television."

In 2021, she was allegedly unable to recognize her longtime co-host, Whoopi Goldberg.

Barbara Walters was also noticeably absent from The View's 25th anniversary celebrations in June 2022. This prompted fans of the show to criticize its producers and hosts for excluding Walters.

According to insiders, the former broadcaster has become frail, is confined to a wheelchair and spends most of her days napping. They said that her dementia was worsening and while her caretakers give her the opportunity to make everyday decisions, but that "more often than not she’ll stare at them blankly."

In her seventy-odd years as a television host, Barbara Walters has interviewed Fidel Castro, Lucille Ball, Barbra Streisand, Hilary Clinton, and many more.

As she announced her retirement, Walters noted that she wanted to be remembered as "having inspired other young women to go into this business and to succeed."