Usually on this page in the
Journal, we write about local events and activities. This review is an
exception because a new series of documentaries produced by HBO is exceptional.
“The Alzheimer’s Project,”
features a four-part documentary series, 15 short supplemental films and an
informative Web site. The documentaries are part of a larger, nationwide,
community-based information and outreach campaign. In conjunction with HBO, Cox
Cable is allowing all its digital cable customers — whether or not they
are subscribers to HBO — to view the series for free through June 8.
The four documentaries,
informative and deeply moving, take a close look at revolutionary discoveries
made by the country’s leading scientists, as well as the effects of this
debilitating and fatal disease, both on those with Alzheimer’s and on their
families.
Similar to almost half the
people living in the U.S., my life has been touched by Alzheimer’s. Nana, my
former husband’s grandmother, had Alzheimer’s, as did my father’s life-long
business partner, Wendell. I was close enough to both situations to witness “the
long goodbye,” as Nancy Reagan called it, but far enough removed to be
blissfully unaware of the real agony wrought by the disease on its sufferers
and their caregivers.
The first of the four
documentaries in the series is “The Memory Loss Tapes,” which looks at seven
people living with Alzheimer’s who are each in different stages of the illness’
steady progression.
The second, “Momentum in
Science,” is a two-part film taking viewers inside the laboratories and clinics
of 25 leading scientists and physicians, and shows us some of the most
cutting-edge research advances — and giving us a glimmer of hope.
“Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am?” captures what it means to be a child or grandchild of
someone with Alzheimer’s. If someone in your family has Alzheimer’s, this is a
good film for children to see to help them understand what is happening.
“Caregivers,” the fourth film,
highlights the sacrifices and successes of people who experience their loved
one’s descent into dementia. Who are we if we don’t
have memories? I kept pondering that question long after I watched the first of
the films. Memory is what makes us who we are, isn’t it? When that is taken
away, what remains?
For me, one of the most
striking moments of the first film is the story of a onetime computer whiz, who
keeps a blog to chronicle his activities — and his descent into the abyss of Alzheimer’s
— while he still can. His plan is to say goodbye to loved ones and write
his last blog entry just before he slips over the edge into oblivion.
Then he will kill himself.
Experts say Alzheimer’s is the
second most feared illness in America, right behind cancer. After watching the
first of the four documentaries, I now understand why. It’s almost impossible
to watch without wondering “What if?” Because of this series, my husband and I
have been having interesting — important — discussions about how we
define “quality of life” and how we’ll make end-of-life decisions.
Cable television viewers will
have free access to the series until June 8 through the cable company’s On
Demand library, on channel 1 and the HBO Channel on YouTube. On channel 1, you
must click on “Free Zone” to find the films.
They — and the 15
supplemental features and other information, are also available to view for
free online at www.hbo.com/alzheimers.
The message conveyed by “The
Alzheimer’s Project” is that a breakthrough, in prevention and treatment, and
even possibly a cure, is at hand. Don’t miss this series. It is very well done,
and it will change the way you look at Alzheimer’s disease.
Reach Barbara Lanz-Mateo at bmateo@syvjournal.com.
Learn more
•The Alzheimer’s Project
www.hbo.com/alzheimers
• American Health Assistance
Foundation
www.ahaf.org/alzheimers
• Alzheimer’s Association
www.alz.org
• National Institute on Aging
www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers