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Heavy
Impact of Alzheimer’s Documented in PBS Specials
By
Daniel Dullum
Spectrum staff writer
Though David Shenk himself has no family connection to Alzheimer’s
disease, the best-selling author was intrigued enough to devote more than three
years of research to the subject.
The results can be read in his latest book, “The Forgetting: Alzheimer’s — Portrait
of an Epidemic,” which utilizes biological, genetic and psychological data
to put the insidious memory-robbing disease into a historical context.
“About five years ago, I was having lunch in my neighborhood in Brooklyn
and I overheard a conversation that had to do with a couple in their 50s,” Shenk
said by telephone from his Brooklyn, N.Y., office. “The woman was in the
middle stages of Alzheimer’s disease and living at home. She didn’t
know who her husband was anymore. So, here it is — her husband is her primary
caregiver and obviously her best friend and soul mate — but she doesn’t
know who he is anymore.
“I just was completely consumed by that idea,” Shenk continued. “Without
meeting these people, I came home in tears with a long list of questions about
what this disease was, where it came from, and what we were going to do about
it. I started looking into trying to answer some of those questions and it turned
out that every answer led to another five or 10 questions. It was a whole world
that I thought could be an interesting book.”
So did Twin Cities Public Television in Minnesota, which used Shenk’s book
as the blueprint for “The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer’s,” a
90-minute documentary for PBS.
“The Forgetting” premieres locally at 8 p.m. Wednesday on KVIE-TV
(Channel 6), with repeat airings at 2 p.m. Jan. 22, and 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. Jan.
23.
Two informational shows on Alzheimer’s disease follow the documentary. “Caring
and Coping: Living with Alzheimer’s,” hosted by “California
Heartland” co-host Pat McConahay — whose mother was diagnosed with
Alzheimer’s in 1995 — begins at 9:30 p.m., followed by “Alzheimer’s:
The Help You Need,” a panel discussion hosted by actor David Hyde Pierce,
at 10 p.m.
“These shows are produced not only to raise awareness, but to let people
know what’s going on in areas like research and resources,” said
Mary Gillon, regional director of the Alzheimer’s Association of Northern
California and Northern Nevada. “We do expect that we’ll get a fair
number of calls and inquiries after the shows.”
“Caring and Coping” focuses on practical information about resources
and services in the Sacramento area, such as the Alzheimer’s Association,
the UC Davis Research and Treatment Center and Del Oro Caregiver Resources.
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