PBS special examines tragedies of Alzheimer's

By Mary Kaye Ritz
Advertiser Religion & Ethics Writer

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A chance to watch, learn and earn $500 "The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer's" 9 p.m. tomorrow, PBS Hawai'i high school juniors and seniors can win $500 and may be featured in a book by writing a 300- to 500-word essay about living with Alzheimer's. Essays must answer five questions, available at www.alzhi.org, along with rules. A winner will be chosen from each island. Students must tune in to the PBS special to be eligible for the contest, co-sponsored by PBS Hawai'i, Alzheimer's Association and The Advertiser. Deadline: Feb. 12.

As we watch, a woman turns from doting grandmother into quarrelsome child, calling her grandson names and telling him she doesn't like him, all in the span of seconds. A family of 10 who lost their mother to a rare form of the disease quizzes doctors about what can be done for their sister, now afflicted. Fear for their own mental capacities is palpable.

The 90-minute documentary is a powerful look at a disease that affects about 5 million Americans, including about 20,000 in Hawai'i, according to the Alzheimer's Association. It was based on David Shenk's best-selling book "The Forgetting — Alzheimer's: Portrait of an Epidemic."

The documentary is followed by a 30-minute panel discussion: "Alz-heimer's: The Help You Need." David Hyde Pierce, who lost his father and grandfather to the disease, moderates.

Researchers talk about the disease, which traps its victims in their own minds. Loss of memory, the beginning stage, can eventually become loss of basic functions, including speech and breathing. Medical breakthroughs are heralded, though no cure has been discovered. Narrated by Linda Hunt, the documentary also looks at the human toll, showing families experiencing the day-to-day trials, and visits with support groups.

The best reason to tune in is interaction between patients and their caregivers. It's amazing to watch a wife accuse her husband of planting cigarettes in her purse and denying she smokes, just moments after the camera shows her lighting up; to see a daughter try to rouse her mother from the depths of a disease-induced sleep; to see a sister blink back tears because she can't bear to watch a sibling lose her mind.

"Alzheimer's doesn't just affect the individual, but the entire family, whole generations," said Janet Bender Eli, head of the local Alzheimer's chapter.

"We want to create a book in a teen's voice to show how they feel about it, so it can become a peer education project.

"They can reach out to others and say, 'You're not alone in your experience.'"

Reach Mary Kaye Ritz at mritz@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8035.