Beloved Strangers: Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer's Disease

All relationships change over time, but how do you cope when your loved one suffers from the devastating effects of Alzheimer's disease? In candid interviews with spouses and children, Beloved Strangers focuses on the forgotten victims of Alzheimer's--the families and friends who must now act as caregivers. One couple talks about the strain on their relationship after the husband is newly diagnosed with the illness. Another woman describes how she had to take things away from her father in stages--first his car, then his money--as well as organize his shirts and pants in solid colors so he wouldn't clash when he dressed himself (he was only allowed one roll of toilet paper at a time because he once flushed several of them down the toilet). Particularly touching is the dilemma of a Hispanic family who made the tough decision to place their father in a home, even though ethnic pressures in the community--where daughters traditionally care for elderly parents--were very strong. With nearly 80% of Alzheimer's patients cared for at home by loved ones, these heartbreaking stories aren't isolated cases. But families are often unprepared for the extreme stress of the middle-to-late stages of Alzheimer's, and this film offers much-needed advice for coping with various problems, suggesting resources from online support to group therapy sessions. Part of the nine-volume The Caregiver Resource Library series (series price: $599), other titles include Spiritual Caregiving, In Sickness & In Health, Nightingale's Legacy, and The Aging Game. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (J. Asala)