« Hi Mommy | Main | Martini Thong/Pinky Props »

June 18, 2007

Living and Loving Research

Media:
-Film: http://www.imdb.com/keyword/alzheimer%27s-disease/
The Notebook
Full length film, 123 min, 2004

An old man in a nursing home reads a story to an old woman each day. The story he reads follows two young lovers named Allie Hamilton and Noah Calhoun. They met one evening at a carnival many years ago. Allie's parents separate Noah and Allie. They disapprove of Noah's lack of wealth, and move Allie away. After waiting for Noah to write her for several years, Allie meets and becomes engaged to a handsome young soldier named Lon. In a local newspaper, Noah's picture catches Allie's eye. He is standing in front of a fully restored, 200 year old home. The article is filled with praise for his accomplishments. Allie's heart nearly bursts. The last time she saw this house it was a rotted decaying shamble. She stood enfolded in Noah's arms in the great entryway and listened to his plans to buy and restore this house. Just the way she wanted it. With her love for Noah still alive, the picture pulls at her heart. She has to go back, see if Noah is okay, and tell him about her marriage. They both think the echo deep in their hearts, the one that has lasted all these years, is not shared by the other. The cry they could not stifle. It wasn't over for me.

A Clear View
Short film, 30 Minutes, 2005

Comments from IMDB:
Well-conceived, well-written, well-executed. Impressive cinematography--a fairly classic approach with some innovative twists. I've heard others say it's a very "pretty" film from a technical standpoint, and from what I can tell I would have to agree.

In terms of content, I found it a very sympathetic approach to a difficult subject, and one which advocates for seniors and Alzheimer's sufferers could very easily use as a teaching tool. At the same time, it manages to do an exceptional job of "humanizing" its subjects; rather than being "just another 'disease' film," it succeeds in accomplishing its director's goal of being first and foremost "a love story." I am very excited to watch where the Cobblestone team goes from her

To Lie in Green Pastures
Short Film, 15 minutes, 2005

In this sentimental take on the classic 'road movie', Peggy Graves (Shirley Knight) gets in her car and drives. Two realities diverge as Peggy drives farther from home presenting a story that's beautiful and tragic, hopeful and doomed. Based on the true events of the remarkable and surreal death of a woman with Alzheimer's disease

Black
Full length film, 122 min, 2005
This movie screened on the IMDB keyword search for "Alzheimer's Disease", but the main story appears to be about a blind and deaf girl.

Do You Remember Love?
TV Film, 100 min, 1985

Barbara Wyatt-Hollis is an English professor who begins to fall under the effects of Alzheimer's. The film documents her decline and the emotional turmoil it causes for her. It also show how the changes impact her husband, George, and their children. The film also looks at the process by which families can be educated and supported to deal with the impact of the disease, as well what is done for those afflicted.

TV:
The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer's, 2004 - imdb.com
Losing It All: The Reality of Alzheimer's Disease, 1991 - imdb.com
Alzheimer's: My Mom, Our Journey, 2002 - imdb.com

Alzheimer's - Backgrounder:

Alzheimer's disease is the most frequent type of dementia in the elderly and affects almost half of all patients with dementia. Correspondingly, advancing age is the primary risk factor for Alzheimer's. Among people aged 65, 2-3% show signs of the disease, while 25–50% of people aged 85 have symptoms of Alzheimer's and an even greater number have some of the pathological hallmarks of the disease without the characteristic symptoms. Every five years after the age of 65, the probability of having the disease doubles.[50] The share of Alzheimer's patients over the age of 85 is the fastest growing segment of the Alzheimer's disease population in the US, although current estimates suggest the 75-84 population has about the same number of patients as the over 85 population.[51]

The evidence relating certain behaviors, dietary intakes, environmental exposures, and diseases to the likelihood of developing Alzhemier's varies in quality and its acceptance by the medical community.[52] It is important to understand that interventions that reduce the risk of developing disease in the first place may not alter disease progression after symptoms become apparent. Due to their observational design, studies examining disease risk factors are often at risk from confounding variables. Several recent large, randomized controlled trials—in particular the Women's Health Initiative—have called into question preventive measures based on cross-sectional studies

In the United States of America, AD was the 7th leading cause of death in 2004, with 65,829 number of deaths (and rising).[96]
At over $100 billion per year, AD is the third most costly disease in the U.S., after heart disease and cancer.[97]
There are an estimated 24 million people with dementia worldwide.[98] By 2040, it is projected that this figure will have increased to 81 million.
More than 5 million Americans are estimated to have Alzheimer’s disease.[99] It is projected that 14.3 million Americans will have the disease by mid-century: a 350 percent increase from 2000.[100]
The federal government estimates spending approximately $647 million for Alzheimer’s disease research in fiscal year 2005

Alzheimer's is a major public health challenge since the median age of the industrialized world's population is increasing gradually.[94] Indeed, much of the concern about the solvency of governmental social safety nets is founded on estimates of the costs of caring for baby boomers, assuming that they develop Alzheimer's in the same proportions as earlier generations. For this reason, money spent informing the public of available effective prevention methods may yield disproportionate benefits.

The role of family caregivers has also become more prominent, as care in the familiar surroundings of home may delay onset of some symptoms and delay or eliminate the need for more professional and costly levels of care. However, home-based care may entail tremendous economic, emotional, and even psychological costs as well (see elderly care). Family caregivers often give up time from work and forego pay to spend 47 hours per week on average with an affected loved one who frequently cannot be left alone. From a survey of patients with long term care insurance, direct and indirect costs of caring for an Alzheimer's patient average $77,500 per year.[95]

Source: Wikipedia

Posted by F.Newara at June 18, 2007 10:30 AM