This film is a close-up portrait of a family coping with dementia and follows as they seek to respect the dignity and core humanity of those who are living with it.
The early stages are easily overlooked, and the later stages are confusing, upsetting, and physically and emotionally demanding in ways most of us are not trained to handle.
Confronting unfamiliar and illogical behaviors, we often do not know how to react.
Are we facing the ‘true, unfiltered personality’ or the rantings of someone whose mind now processes information in unfamiliar ways? We feel helpless, we feel angry, we feel sad, sometimes all at the same time.
We are often paralyzed by what feels like unreasonable behavior, hammered by our own guilt, and isolated by embarrassment, all of which prevents us from quickly seeking help and assistance.
Medical professionals trained to treat specific ailments often don’t recognize that the care needed for someone with dementia may involve factors they don’t usually consider. There may be profound negative impacts from administering certain standard tests, procedures or drugs.
Families not familiar with the long-term impact of such interventions can end up making decisions which the patient and family may later regret.
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