Movies that deal with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia are often hard to find but they do exist. We at Carefect Home Care Services would like to offer a list of movies that feature Alzheimer’s disease or dementia that family caregivers can watch to gain some insight into these diseases.
The Notebook
The first movie on the list is the most popular one. The Notebook is a love story where Noah, the husband, reads to his wife Allie who has Alzheimer’s disease. Noah tries to remind his wife of memories of their past together as he reads to her from his notebook. This movie can be helpful for caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s disease as it shows how to try to remind your loved one of fond memories that you shared together. Whether your loved one is a spouse or family member, you can share your memories with them while visiting them just like Noah does in the movie.
Away from Her
Another movie that focuses on Alzheimer’s disease is Away from Her. In the movie, Fiona is a woman with Alzheimer’s disease who checks herself into a care facility so that her husband Grant will not be burdened by having to take care of her. The facility recommends a 30 day separation and after the 30 days, Grant goes to visit his wife. When he arrives at the facility he finds that his wife has lost her memory of him and has befriended another man there. Grant then has to make the difficult decision to do what he thinks is best for his wife’s happiness. The topic of this movie is very sad, but many patients with Alzheimer’s lose their memories of their family members and some become agitated or upset when people they do not know constantly come to visit them. Family members and caregivers who find themselves facing this situation can look to this movie for ideas on how they should deal with it.
The Savages
The next movie on the list focuses on a patient with dementia. The Savages features a slight bit of comedy as two adult children try to take care of their father that has dementia. Many people find this movie enjoyable because it tries to find some humor in the situation as the children try their best to get along and do what is best for their father. This movie deals with caregiving and sibling relationships. Many family caregivers often enlist the help of their siblings and then struggle with opposing opinions from the group as to what is the best way to care for their loved one. Watching this movie with your siblings is a great way to get some ideas about how to get along and find a way to work together for the good of your parent or loved one.
Aurora Borealis
Another movie that focuses on dementia is Aurora Borealis. In this film, the main character suffers from dementia and caring for him becomes more work than his wife can handle so she has to hire a homecare aide to assist her. The movie gets its title because the main character insists that he can see the Northern Lights from his window. This movie can be helpful for those who are struggling with caring for their loved one on their own but feel guilty hiring help. Watching this movie can help show family caregivers that there is nothing wrong with bringing someone else in to help if caring for your loved one becomes too much to handle alone.
Iris: A Memoir of Iris Murdoch
Last on the list is Iris: A Memoir of Iris Murdoch. This movie is based on the book Elegy for Iris by John Bayley. The movie focuses on Iris as her Alzheimer’s disease progresses. Iris has a partner named Bayley who has been with her for 40 years and continues to support her through her disease. This movie is good for family members and loved ones to watch if they are struggling with taking care of their loved ones and need some help in remaining as loving and supporting as they have always been.
There are other foreign films about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia as well that family caregivers can watch if they are looking for more information on the diseases. Watching the movies mentioned in this article is a great place to start as these movies can definitely provide some insight about what to expect as you care for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Those who need extra help can follow the advice of Aurora Borealis and hire a homecare service such as our services at Carefect Home Care Services. In the end it is important to remember that even though these movies provide a general idea of the diseases they still do not cover everything that you might encounter and it is always good for family caregivers to do extra research.
