Educational Media Reviews Online

This DVD is an episode of Health Mind Healthy Body, a health and wellness series shown on many public television stations. It provides an overview of Alzheimer’s disease—how to recognize the signs and symptoms, and what can be done to slow progression of the disease.

As the program states, Alzheimer’s is more than memory loss. It is a degenerative brain disease. The program gives examples of normal and abnormal memory loss, and a brief pathophysiology of the disease. Profiles of a few different individuals who have the disease and how they are coping give an optimistic view of life with Alzheimer’s. There are treatments available and research is continuing to provide pharmacological therapies for patients. The program stresses the importance of early diagnosis. While the available treatments do not cure Alzheimer’s they can work help keep the remaining neurotransmitters functioning. Treatment is multifaceted, and physical, mental and social activities are extremely important. Living with Alzheimer’s remembers the family caregivers too—they need to take care of themselves in order to be good caretakers for their loved one.

This is a good introductory program on Alzheimer’s. For classroom use, the television format may be a bit distracting with slick hosts and obvious breaking points, but it doesn’t detract from the content. for library collections supporting health sciences programs at the senior high through early college level.