During the recent award season for movies, actress Julianne Moore brought home several pieces of hardware recognizing her poignant work as Alice in the film, “Still Alice.” The movie offers viewers a rare glimpse into the world of Alzheimer’s disease from the perspective of someone living with it.
Moore plays Dr. Alice Howland, a linguistics professor who is diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The movie shows the struggle Alice has to stay connected to loved ones and reveals how frightening and heartbreaking it can be to live with Alzheimer’s.
“Still Alice” is closely tied to the My Brain™ movement started by the Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s is an epidemic. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, “at least 44 million people are living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias” worldwide. The association strongly believes that when you discuss Alzheimer’s, you help raise awareness and inspire action.
“By giving a frank and open portrayal of just how devastating Alzheimer’s is to a person’s emotional and physical well-being; family and career; and all other facets of life, our hope is ‘Still Alice’ will move more people to join the fight against Alzheimer’s,” the association states on it’s website.
Some facts:
- A woman’s estimated lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer’s at age 65 is 1 in 6.
- Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S. It is the only cause of death among the top 10 in America that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed.
- Women are more likely to have Alzheimer’s as well as are more likely to be caregivers of those with the disease.
About 60% of our Kadan Homecare clients have either Alzheimer’s or some form of dementia. Our nurses recently completed the necessary training to become Teepa Snow dementia consultants, which provides them with the special knowledge to work with Alzheimer’s and dementia clients. We are committed to providing the highest quality of care to our clients and pride ourselves on pursuing educational opportunities and certifications that will allow us to better assist all of our clients and the health challenges they face.
