Powerful Alzheimer’s Film Makes Its NJ Debut in Ocean City

The condition that eventually took the life of my daughter at age 31 was never diagnosed. In the early years of Carla’s illness, she and I chose to take some comfort in the lack of a label despite the best diagnostic efforts by her doctors. A diagnosis, after all, might have been accompanied by a discouraging prognosis with no foreseeable hope for treatment or cure.
Alzheimer’s, a form of dementia that causes progressive loss of intellectual and social skills, is the only disease among the top killers for which there is currently no prevention, cure or treatment effective in slowing its progress. There has been considerable discussion in the medical community regarding a research study published in the Archives of Neurology that reported that a spinal tap could accurately predict which patients with significant memory loss will eventually develop Alzheimer’s disease.
Even the researchers, though, have questioned the desirability of such testing for the general public while Alzheimer’s is still essentially untreatable.
The hope, of course, is that by identifying those individuals in the earliest stages of this progressive brain disease, researchers may eventually be more successful in developing drugs that arrest or eradicate its destructive course. In the meantime, recent initiatives that encourage Alzheimer’s patients to engage in art and other creative activities seem to be yielding very positive results. Scientists believe that this non-pharmacological approach works because the disease to a large extent spares the areas of the brain related to creativity, emotions and creative expression.
This hopeful new insight is presented in a powerful documentary, “I Remember Better When I Paint.” Filmed in North America and Europe, it is the first international documentary describing the positive impact of art and other creative therapies on people with Alzheimer’s. Author and journalist, Gail Sheehy, praised the film’s effectiveness in presenting “an entirely new pathway for engaging with a loved one you thought was lost.” Featured are interviews with renowned neurologists who explain how creative activities can help reawaken a sense of identity, personality and dignity in Alzheimer’s patients, giving new hope to families and caregivers.
On Oct. 24 this Alzheimer’s Association film will have its first New Jersey showing at the Ocean City Library, Room 110, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., with a reception following. It is a must-see presentation for anyone who has a loved one with Alzheimer’s. The viewer will come away with a determination to share the positive approaches and hopeful possibilities raised by this impactful documentary. Admission is free, but pre-registration is encouraged. Call 800-272-3900
Did You Know??
• Alzheimer’s Support Groups are offered at Victoria Commons Assisted Living (610 Townbank Road, North Cape May) on the third Tuesday of each month at 4:00 p.m. and at Oceanview Center for Rehabilitation (2721 Route 9, Ocean View) on the first Wednesday of the month at 6:00 p.m.
• Funding for Respite Care may be available through the Cape May County Board of Social Services (Statewide Respite Program: 886-6200) or the Delaware Valley Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association (Caregiver’s Respite Care Financial Assistance Program, call 800-272-3900)
• Project Lifesaver is a non-profit international organization whose mission is to protect patients who wander due to conditions such as Alzheimer’s. People enrolled in the Project Lifesaver program wear an individualized wristband with a unique radio frequency. In Cape May County, the program is offered free to county residents through the Sheriff’s Department. Officer Paul Shelton (465-6831) is the person to call if you would like more information on Project Lifesaver.
• The Copper Ridge Institute, affiliated with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, is an excellent source of information regarding Alzheimer’s. Their website is www.crinstitute.org.
• Two DVD series that focus on Alzheimer’s (The Family Guide to Alzheimer’s Disease, Vol. 1-5; and Caring for a Loved One With Alzheimer’s Disease) are available for loan from the Cape May County Office of Disability Services. Contact Paulann Pierson at 465-4117 Ext. 28.
Pierson writes from the Cape May County Department of Aging & Disability Services