Educational Media Reviews Online

In this film we follow three families who have been told that one of their members has Alzheimer’s Disease. These wives and adult children describe the struggle they had in deciding “what was normal aging, and what was illness,” and how this led to the eventual diagnosis. Family members talk about being in denial and the shift that occurred in their thinking and behavior as they adjusted to the illness.

The film deals with the tough issues, i.e.: loss and grief, role reversal of parents and children, making decisions that the person can no longer drive or manage finances, and the inability of their spouse/parent to perform simple tasks. But all of these difficult situations are muted by the film because these patients are in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, are still living at home, are well off financially, and all have supportive families.

Most of the film takes places in people’s homes; there are a few scenes of support groups, and professionals; the film is technically very strong. Information is added at the end of the film about an accompanying website and pamphlet.

The film’s target audience is family members of newly diagnosed patients. Most helpful are the pragmatic suggestions given to family members: get into the patient’s world, particularly with early memories that remain clear, and stop trying to bring him into “our world,” respect their emotions, as they remain intact even as their ability to communicate fades. The film also emphasizes the importance of supporting the primary caregiver.

Family Matters will be very helpful to health educators running family education groups or family support groups. The issues it raises will certainly trigger and facilitate a lot of group discussion and interaction. Educators of social workers and counselors will also find this a useful resource, as these professionals are depicted in the film as authorities in helping families manage this devastating chronic illness.

Awards

• Freddie Award, International Health & Medical Media Competition
• Gold Remi Award, Worldfest Houston
• Bronze Award, National Health Information Awards