Growing Up and Growing Old 2001
Distributed by Fanlight Productions, 32 Court St., 21st Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201; 800-876-1710
Produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting
Directed by Jessica Martin
VHS, color, 56 min.
Adult
Aging, Health Sciences, Nursing
Date Entered: 11/09/2018
Reviewed by Marianne Reviewed by Marianne Foley, E.H. Butler Library, State University of New York College at Buffalo, E.H. Butler Library, Buffalo State CollegeOur population is aging rapidly. The number of people who require long-term care in the United States will double within the next two decades. Yet even today, quality care for senior citizens falls far short of the demand. Growing Up and Growing Old asks two pertinent questions: “Who will care for the increasing number of people who will soon need long-term care?” and “How will we pay for it?”
The film raises these questions through interviews with families and other caregivers who struggle with the daily problems of caring for the elderly. Several adult children discuss why they chose to care for a parent suffering from dementia in their home. Family members candidly describe the emotional and financial burdens placed on them, as well as the tremendous lifestyle changes that ensued. One caregiver discusses the serious physical and psychological effects she suffered while simultaneously caring for her children and feeble mother, despite support from her husband. The film also follows a Certified Nurses Aide as she travels from house to house in rural Oregon to provide companionship and other skills to help her clients continue living on their own. Although she provides critical services, she earns low wages and no benefits.
The film touches on additional problems in senior health care including the high costs of prescription medicine and assisted living facilities, the lack of community services to support individuals who choose to remain in their homes, and the poor care (or lack of care) provided by nursing homes with staffing shortages and inadequately trained employees. Aside from medical care, senior citizens also face the daunting tasks of understanding and navigating complicated insurance, legal, and medical paperwork.
Growing Up and Growing Old provides a foundation to begin discussing the crisis in health care management among American senior citizens. Lawmakers and health care providers must participate along with seniors, their families, caregivers, and geriatricians. This video will help them on their way to make informed decisions. Highly recommended.