High Country AAA Brings Local Perspective to HBO Documentary Series

Area Agency on Aging Hosts Special Screening of HBO’s The Alzheimer’s Project

High Country Area Agency on Aging (AAA), located at 468 New Market Boulevard in Boone, will host a special screening and discussion of HBO’s The Alzheimer’s Project on Tuesday, November 10, as part of a national discussion to encourage individuals to learn more about the disease and the research being done, as well as to gain a greater understanding of the issues surrounding it. 

The Alzheimer’s Project event on November 10 at 1:00 p.m. begins with a special screening from the HBO documentary series, followed by a discussion panel led by Brenda Reece. High Country Area Agency on Aging, High Country Caregivers Foundation, Deerfield Ridge Assisted Living, Medi Home Care, Western North Carolina Community Hospice and High Country Council of Governments sponsor the event, which is free and open to the public. 

The Alzheimer’s Project is HBO’s four-part, multi-platform series that brings new understanding and hope for millions and reveals human faces behind the disease. The documentary series shines a spotlight on the lives of individuals with Alzheimer’s and their families, and takes a close look at the groundbreaking discoveries made by the country’s leading scientists as they work towards a cure. 

Two of the four films will be presented on November 10, each exploring a different facet of Alzheimer’s.  

“The Memory Loss Tapes”—This 90-minute documentary captures the devastating experience of memory loss from the point of view of the person with the disease. Bringing viewers into the quiet world of seven patients living with Alzheimer’s, each in an advancing state of dementia and ranging across the full spectrum of the disease, the film bears witness to what it’s like to slowly lose one’s mind.

“Caregivers”—A collection of five family portraits that illustrate caring for those in different stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Each highlights the sacrifices, struggles and successes made by those experiencing their loved ones’ descent into dementia. 

The purpose of the screening event is to encourage further discussion about Alzheimer’s research and care in communities across America. HBO has invited High Country Area Agency on Aging, along with many other national organizations, to host these screening events to help conduct conversations about Alzheimer’s and better understand the disease. 

Brenda Reece, family caregiver support specialist for High Country Area Agency on Aging and executive director of High Country Caregiver Foundation, is hopeful that this event will help to raise public awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and the many issues that local family caregivers face. 

Alzheimer’s is the second most-feared illness in America behind cancer, and may affect as many as five million Americans. As Baby Boomers reach retirement, that number could soar to more than 11 million by 2040, and have a huge economic impact on America’s already fragile healthcare system.

LOCAL WEATHER FORECAST

LATEST COMMENTS FROM OUR READERS

TOP NEWS ACROSS THE NATION

HIGH COUNTRY MAGAZINE