By April Holthaus
Special to The SUN
A free showing of the documentary “Alzheimer’s Whisperer: There Is A Bridge” will take place at the Liberty Theatre at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14. Doors open at 6 p.m.
This groundbreaking PBS documentary will change the way you imagine Alzheimer’s disease — and quite possibly, how you see yourself. With more than 5 million Americans affected by Alzheimer’s disease today, that number is rapidly growing and will continue to grow as Baby Boomers age.
“There is a Bridge,” challenges conventional notions of people with Alzheimer’s as “unreachable.” Interviews with preeminent thinkers and poignant footage of family members, care partners and school children building rich relationships with people with dementia, illuminate depths of memory and personal identity not erased by Alzheimer’s disease.
Hosted by former United States Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, “There Is a Bridge” weaves together mental health, psychology, art, philosophy and education to highlight individuals and path-breaking programs reaching out to elders affected by Alzheimer’s.
In one of the film’s most moving and memorable moments, 87-year-old Gladys Wilson and Naomi Feil, an internationally renowned expert in reaching people with Alzheimer’s disease (she founded Validation Therapy), have a dramatic breakthrough brought about by compassionate touch, behavioral mirroring, and a deep connection between patient and practitioner.
The film was produced by Michael Verde, founder and president of Memory Bridge: Foundation for Alzheimer’s and Cultural Memory, and directed by Ted Kay, supplied by TMK Productions, and offered by American Public Television through their Exchange service. The Pagosa showing will be hosted by the Visiting Angels Home Care Agency.
