A website from Terra Nova Films, Video Caregiving, is dedicated to “streaming” visual educational material to family caregivers. It has launched a Spanish edition too. Both sites are unique is the almost exclusive use of video in focusing on the challenges faced by the caregiver.æ
The videos are designed to be short, simple and direct, and are able to be accessed easily by the user at any hour of the day or night. Many of the videos follow a documentary format that uses real people and follows real situations.
Studies indicate that roughly one-third of Hispanic households have at least one caregiver, many of those dealing with somebody who has Alzheimeräó»s.æ Over 40% of these caregivers said theyäó»d been forced into making major changes in their lives, from cutting back on their working hours, to changing jobs to taking a leave of absence or stopping work altogether.
While Alzheimeräó»s presents its own set of problems in the general population, it seems to be even more acute in the Latino culture.æ Studies suggest that many Hispanics may have more risk factors for developing dementia than other groups. And surveys indicate that Latinos, less likely to see doctors because of financial and language barriers, more often mistake dementia symptoms for normal aging, delaying diagnosis.æ
Among the goals of the sites are not only to help the caregivers better understand and deal with their situation, but also to remindäóîand actually SHOWäóîthem they are neither isolated or alone in their struggle. The videos on the website are original footage, documentary in style, focusing on real stories of real people in real circumstances.æ
An advisory team of representatives from the leading caregiving organizations and a production team of experts on caregiving and Alzheimeräó»s disease came together to create this resource, which offers specific videos on Alzheimeräó»s disease and general caregiving.