More Than a Thousand Tomorrows
By James Vanden Bosch

One of the rarely discussed effects of Alzheimer's disease is its impact on intimacy and sexuality. In the award winning video, A Thousand Tomorrows, several spouses of people with Alzheimer's spoke candidly about the blurring of their roles, about changes in behavior that affect intimacy, and about the whole range of complicated emotions surrounding their wife's or husband's illness. The film set a tone of candor and respect that was extremely helpful in confronting the difficulties which both family members and professionals can have in discussing these issues.

Of particular interest in this program were the interviews with Everett and Betty Jordan. Betty, who was in the fairly early stages of the disease, was able to share in the discussion of how it was affecting her as well as her husband. This new video revisits Everett and Betty at one and six years later, to follow the changes in their lives as Betty's Alzheimer's gradually worsened, and she eventually needed to be placed in a nursing home. Central to the video is Everett's candid discussion of his feelings and decisions regarding the changes in his ongoing intimate relationship with Betty during those years, and how he has coped.

22 minutes
© 2003
Purchase $179 DVD
Order No. QA-407

Reviews
"An immensely touching program...[Everett's] strategies and decisions regarding how to cope with his wife's deteriorating mental condition over the years will break viewers' hearts, while at the same time filling them with admiration for the man's steadfastness. A must-see for anyone whose life is affected by this cruelest of diseases...highly recommended for both aging and general collections." Video Librarian

Awards & Conference Screenings
National Council on Family Relations Media Award

Related Films
Sage: Celebrates the wisdom, experience, and creativity of our society's elders through portraits of a diverse group of active, engaged seniors pursuing their lifetime interests, and some new ones as well. Among those profiled is TV chef Julia Child.

A Thousand Tomorrows: The spouses of people with Alzheimer's disease talk candidly about the impact of the illness on intimacy and sexuality.

Alzheimer's Disease: Inside Looking Out: Through the stories of eight people with Alzheimer's disease, this touching video gives viewers a real and vivid sense of what it's like to experience the early stages of progressive memory loss.

He's Doing This to Spite Me: In this frank video, three caregivers openly share their experiences of conflict and frustration in interactions with their loved one who has dementia. These scenes are integrated with comments and guidance from professionals in dementia care.

The Personals: This Academy-Award winning video follows a drama group for senior citizens, as they create and perform a play about looking for dates through the personal ads.

To rent or purchase this film, please visit the Icarus Films website

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