Last week, Alzheimer’s Los Angeles direct-tweeted me @CaregiversVoice with the following:
Alzheimer’s Los Angeles @AlzheimersLA
@CaregiversVoice Wanted to share Season 2 of our heartfelt & bi-lingual #Alzheimers #telenovela: [URL included below]
Hope you enjoy!
I am glad they did! There are a significant number of Spanish-speaking people here in California. Latinos face similar challenges as all families who love and want to be more informed on how to care for family members with dementia. Beyond the similarities, they are more likely to care for loved ones at home. The daily uncertainties, behavior shifts, forgetfulness, safety concerns including elopements or wandering, increase caregivers’ stress while they stay alert for what’s to come next.
Caregivers Blame Themselves for What They Do Not Know
The Los Angeles Alzheimer’s organization produced the first season of this bilingual series of videos entitled Lost Memories (Recuerdos Perdidos) in 2017.
Typically, conscientious caregivers blame themselves when a family member’s dementia causes their behavior to change. “Grandma Gloria doesn’t recognize herself anymore, and Claudia, her daughter, blames herself.”
Families feel the pain while the person with dementia realizes something is amiss but chooses to suffer privately. Uncertainty and fear cloud the ups and downs of daily life for the person who is experiencing confusion and forgetfulness.
Sadly, caregivers for loved ones with Alzheimer’s are notoriously diligent in a harmful practice. They blame themselves for their loved one’s actions and they harbor guilt. Yet, most do not know. Furthermore, many do not know what they do not know.
Alzheimer’s LA Videos Inform Families with Dementia
Videos like these produced by Alzheimer’s Los Angeles enable families and new professionals to look beyond their own situation as they view another’s experience with Alzheimer’s. Families feel less alone and grow more aware.
In these videos, we witness the daily tug-of-war with Grandma Gloria.
- She tries to help her family. In one scene, she’s making dinner. She forgets that she already put salt in the soup. She uses a new wooden spoon to stir in salt that she adds. We see the wooden spoons piling up in the sink.
- She expresses pleasant surprise after a woman on TV takes time to talk with her, directly. (She doesn’t realize that woman is her granddaughter talking with her via video.)
- Gloria tries to bite into a decorative (plastic) apple.
- She wanders off and is lost.
Meanwhile, her children and grandchildren are in disbelief in what’s happening to their beloved abuela (grandma).
Click on the link or the embedded video below to view this short episode at just over seven minutes.
LOST MEMORIES Season 2 / Episode 1 – “IT’S ME?”
Watch the entire Season 1 2020 35-minute compilation of episodes here: LOST MEMORIES – Full Season 1 with Spanish subtitles or view the entire series at the Lost Memories Playlist
To view more videos from Alzheimer’s Los Angeles.
For Help Visit…
If you or someone you know has questions or concerns about Alzheimer’s visit AlzheimersLA.org or call toll free at 844-HELP-ALZ (844.435.7259).
More resources are available here: RESOURCES for Caregivers for People with Dementia
