STILL ALICE, Strong Portrayal of Dignity in Early Onset Alzheimer's

by Guest Blogger Maria Theresa

Alzheimer's doesn't just change the lives of its sufferers, but the lives of their family and friends as well. Those who witness the decline of someone affected by the illness typically expend a great amount of time, money, emotional and physical energy caring for their loved ones. Still Alice (2014), a riveting movie about early-onset Alzheimer's, depicts the many aspects of living with the disease and caring for someone who has it.

In the film, Julianne Moore plays Dr. Alice Howland, a linguistics professor who starts to notice that something is wrong with her memory around her 50th birthday. After a positive diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's, Alice struggles to cope with her rapid decline, and her family -- husband Dr. John Howland, played by Alec Baldwin, and her three grown children -- struggle seeing the woman they once knew not only lose herself but her memory of them as well.

Films that cover the subject of Alzheimer's usually show the emotional and physical toll the disease takes on those who have it, but what is often kept off-screen are the heart-wrenching indignities that come along with being an Alzheimer's patient. There are several moments in Still Alice that leave the audience feeling uncomfortable, but these scenes do depict the truth of what actual Alzheimer's patients go through. In one such scene, Alice forgets where the bathroom in her own home is located, and accidentally wets herself. In another part of the movie, Alice visits her daughter, Anna, in the hospital after she has given birth to twins. While in awe over the babies, Alice doesn't recognize who Anna is. This is especially heartbreaking as Anna herself tested positive for the Alzheimer's gene, and the audience is well aware that she has a significant chance of suffering the same fate as her mother.

The choice made by directors Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland to include the raw side of Alzheimer's that strips patients of their dignity was definitely bold. Through every step of her decline Alice strives to hang onto herself and remain, as the film's title states, "still Alice". Ultimately, she fails to hold onto the person she used to be, but for the movie to be in any way realistic this is how things needed to play out. All forms of Alzheimer's steal a patient's memories, personality, and former life. But not only are those living with the disease affected, it often drastically alters the lives of family members and caregivers as well.

Alice's husband, John, largely outsources his role as a caregiver due to his demanding career as a physician. In this respect, Alice is quite fortunate as many Alzheimer's patients don't have the financial wherewithal to afford excellent full-time care. Alice's eldest daughter, Anna, and her son, Tom, check-in with their mother as much as they can, but are unable to be day-to-day caregivers because of their own personal and professional commitments. This scenario is something that is much more common in the lives of Alzheimer's patients, who need increasing amounts of care as the disease progresses.

Alice is once again more fortunate than many actual Alzheimer's patients, as her youngest daughter, Lydia, is willing and able to temporarily put her acting career on hold and move across the country to care for her. This act of love combined with the work of her dedicated professional caregiver, and financial stability provided by her family's wealth, guarantee Alice the best possible palliative care that she can get.

These financial and familial advantages aside, the film sends an important message: no matter how much money or support one has, Alzheimer's inevitably takes the same toll on each and every person who has the disease. Still Alice (available on Netflix and DTV) has been praised as an excellent portrayal of the disease by the Alzheimer’s community, and is an excellent film to watch by viewers directly involved Alzheimer's doesn't just change the lives of its sufferers, but the lives of their family and friends as well. Those who witness the decline of someone affected by the illness typically expend a great amount of time, money, emotional and physical energy caring for their loved ones. Still Alice (2014), a riveting movie about early-onset Alzheimer's, depicts the many aspects of living with the disease and caring for someone who has it.

In the film, Julianne Moore plays Dr. Alice Howland, a linguistics professor who starts to notice that something is wrong with her memory around her 50th birthday. After a positive diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's, Alice struggles to cope with her rapid decline, and her family -- husband Dr. John Howland, played by Alec Baldwin, and her three grown children -- struggle seeing the woman they once knew not only lose herself but her memory of them as well.

Films that cover the subject of Alzheimer's usually show the emotional and physical toll the disease takes on those who have it, but what is often kept off-screen are the heart-wrenching indignities that come along with being an Alzheimer's patient. There are several moments in Still Alice that leave the audience feeling uncomfortable, but these scenes do depict the truth of what actual Alzheimer's patients go through. In one such scene, Alice forgets where the bathroom in her own home is located, and accidentally wets herself. In another part of the movie, Alice visits her daughter, Anna, in the hospital after she has given birth to twins. While in awe over the babies, Alice doesn't recognize who Anna is. This is especially heartbreaking as Anna herself tested positive for the Alzheimer's gene, and the audience is well aware that she has a significant chance of suffering the same fate as her mother.

The choice made by directors Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland to include the raw side of Alzheimer's that strips patients of their dignity was definitely bold. Through every step of her decline Alice strives to hang onto herself and remain, as the film's title states, "still Alice". Ultimately, she fails to hold onto the person she used to be, but for the movie to be in any way realistic this is how things needed to play out. All forms of Alzheimer's steal a patient's memories, personality, and former life. But not only are those living with the disease affected, it often drastically alters the lives of family members and caregivers as well.

Alice's husband, John, largely outsources his role as a caregiver due to his demanding career as a physician. In this respect, Alice is quite fortunate as many Alzheimer's patients don't have the financial wherewithal to afford excellent full-time care. Alice's eldest daughter, Anna, and her son, Tom, check-in with their mother as much as they can, but are unable to be day-to-day caregivers because of their own personal and professional commitments. This scenario is something that is much more common in the lives of Alzheimer's patients, who need increasing amounts of care as the disease progresses.

Alice is once again more fortunate than many actual Alzheimer's patients, as her youngest daughter, Lydia, is willing and able to temporarily put her acting career on hold and move across the country to care for her. This act of love combined with the work of her dedicated professional caregiver, and financial stability provided by her family's wealth, guarantee Alice the best possible palliative care that she can get.

These financial and familial advantages aside, the film sends an important message: no matter how much money or support one has, Alzheimer's inevitably takes the same toll on each and every person who has the disease. Still Alice (available on Netflix and DTV) has been praised as an excellent portrayal of the disease by the Alzheimer’s community, and is an excellent film to watch by viewers directly involved with the illness, as well as those who want more insight into early-onset Alzheimer's.

Maria is a freelance writer currently living in Chicago. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a minor in Communication. She blogs about environmentally friendly tips, technological advancements, and healthy active lifestyles.

Can We Please Advocate For Caregiver Support Without Demeaning Our Loved Ones?

On the eve of the first day of National Family Caregivers Month, I've decided to plant a stake in the ground for the dignity of our stories in the media.  Here's what I read in my news feed this morning and what I wrote in response.

ine Goldberg her mother, Lily, who suffers from dementia, at the Jewish General Hospital in 20TE

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Although Francine Goldberg was once director of an Alzheimer’s support group in Montreal, nothing prepared her for her own mother’s dementia. Her mother Lily, now 91, was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia about three years ago, and by then was no longer able to live independently.

When Goldberg, an administrator of a downtown Montreal health clinic, brought her mother home to live with her, the learning curve was steep and the costs high, both financially and emotionally. She wished someone had warned her to get a mandate and a power of attorney to look after a parent’s affairs.

Although she knew the challenges of eldercare are considerable, no one warned her that caregiving would take over her life. Goldberg eventually consulted a therapist to help her with the depression and disarray.

“The moment she came to my house, I was afraid to leave her alone,” Goldberg said, because of the unpredictability of the illness, which can cause psychosis, hallucinations and bizarre behaviour. For example, her mother sometimes threatened to break windows and slash her wrists. Goldberg has called the police out of fear for her mother’s life, and Lily was admitted to a hospital for emergency care more than once.

Lily Latowsky Goldberg enjoys a happy moment with dogs Bob (left) Nelly (right) and Mickey at the home of her daughter Francine in 2014. JOHN KENNEY / THE GAZETTE

No one told her, Goldberg says, how to live with an appalling disease that changes a once kind and loving mother into an aggressive, hysterical woman, who throws things and yells obscenities and threatens to tell everyone that she is kept in jail against her will.

No one talked about the dirty diapers on the floor. No one mentioned the possibility of having feces thrown at you, no one explained how to coax a crying mother into the shower. She never foresaw having to rush home from work because the hired caregiver couldn’t cope.

Lily was rejected from a private nursing home because she was a difficult patient. Goldberg tried a public long term nursing facility, or CHSLD, but took her mother home again after she curled up on the bed and refused food.

Lily now lives in a public facility, which she believes is a lovely hotel.

“No one tells you about the overwhelming guilt,” Goldberg says.

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Donna Thomson · 

Author at Author

I have been a family caregiver all of my adult life and I am the author of a book titled The Four Walls of My Freedom: Lessons I've Learned From a Life of Caregiving. I applaud this series for shining a light on family caregivers and our need for greater support. I'm disappointed though, that existing bilingual supports such as The Caregiver Network (http://thecaregivernetwork.ca/) weren't mentioned and I'm especially disappointed in Ms. Fidelman's decision to highlight the sordid aspects of caregiving life and exclude the intimate, joyful moments such as this one where an Alzheimer's sufferer recognizes her daughter and tells her, "I love you." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKBcE4KhFPc. A life of caregiving includes the full range of human emotion and we must tell the whole story - the difficult and the deeply wonderful. Caregivers need support and we need all levels of government and society to give us that support, because as Rosalind Carter said, "There are four kinds of people in the world: Those who have been caregivers, those who currently are caregivers, those who will be caregivers and those who will need caregivers." But in advocating for ourselves and our loved ones, we must uphold the dignity of our vulnerable family members whom we love and protect.