Alive Inside Page #5

Integrated aging, we had

A unique interest in saying,

"Over there... I don't want to

See it, I don't want

To know about it."

Why are we changing

Now?

Why are we changing now?

Because it's not working.

Because it's dehumanizing.

And I think, quite frankly,

I think baby boomers are saying,

"This is not acceptable.

This is not how I want to be

Treated when I get older."

This was inspiring,

But are

We really interested in

Changing the way America ages?

Might not realize it

But the united states of America

Has only 6,000 geriatricians in

A nation of 300 million people.

Even worse, that number is not

Going up, it's going down.

This is unfortunate timing,

Because the challenges we're

Going to have to face are

Growing.

We're facing an epidemic

Of neurologic diseases on

A global scale.

A cheery thought.

On this map, every country

That's colored blue has more

Than 20% of its population

Over the age of 65.

This is the world we live in.

And this is the world your

Children will live in.

For 12,000 years, the

Distribution of ages in the

Human population has

Looked like a pyramid with the

Oldest on top.

It's already flattening out.

By 2050, it's going to

Be a column and will start to

Invert...

and this is why that's

Not entirely a good

Thing, because over the age of

65, your risk of getting

Alzheimer's or

Parkinson's disease will

Increase exponentially.

There are five million

Alzheimer's patients in

The united states.

In the next 10 years, that

Number will come close

To doubling.

We do not have the facilities,

We do not have the resources,

Financial or otherwise,

To cope with that number

Of people

Suffering from dementia.

We have to find a way to help

Them age in place in a healthy

Manner.

What do you call that?

It's a... Fork... Sp...

Knife?

No? Fork?

Or spoon?

She says we just don't

Understand.

I think that's probably true.

You end up being dependent on

Someone else for everything that

You do.

You can no longer write

Your name, you struggle reading,

You lose small motor control.

You can't even remember how to

Get in and out of your

Apartment, or the elevator.

So, do you remember where is

The elevator, maybe it's here?

It could be, yes.

Okay.

Let's press.

Do we go down or up?

We have to go down.

Okay, so, do you want to

Press for me?

Oh, yes, here.

This one?

I'm not sure.

That's up.

So that's down?

This is down, yes.

Okay.

Oh, did I do that badly?

I don't think so.

Do you see the light?

Yeah.

Whoo!

Oh, look, look, look.

Oh, beautiful.

Look at that.

Isn't that lovely?

Oh, gotcha.

I gotcha, I gotcha.

Didn't I, huh?

For Marylou, loving her

Grandson is easy.

This is going to the, what?

Where are you going to go?

It's just everything else

That is hard.

I'm really bad, see.

Let's see.

But surprisingly, even deep

Inside Alzheimer's,

Her capacity for love and

Affection remains strong.

I have lots of people to talk

To me and do all that kind of

Thing, so I...

Yeah.

Are you sad because

Other people don't have that?

Yes.

Of course, because how could

I do things if I didn't have

People with me?

So, that's...

this is a hard journey for

You, huh?

Yeah.

Well, my husband...

he's wonderful.

Would you like to

Hear some music?

Would you like to listen

To some music.

Sure. Why not?

What do you have, Dan?

Here you go.

I don't know how to do this.

Straight over

Your ears and your head...

perfect.

See the little

Button in the middle?

Press that?

Yeah, right in the middle.

Click it once.

There you go.

Round round get around

I get around, yeah

get around round round

I get around

I get around get around round

Round I get around

from town to town

get around round round

I get around

I'm a real cool head...

Whoo-Hoo!

Whoo!

Whoa!

Oh!

I gotta find a new place

Where the kids are hip

I could go.

Get out there.

Go with me.

I'm sorry.

Does it matter?

No, no.

There's nothing...

out of control.

I get around round

Get around round

Round round

Come on, guys.

Wah wa ooo

wah wa ooo

we always take my car 'cause

It's never been beat

and we've never missed yet

I need more.

Do you want to stop the

Music?

Oh, thank you so much.

Okay.

It was...

I'm so glad to get it.

Thank you.

And I love it, and you were very

Nice to me and...

okay, so they're tears of

Joy?

Yeah.

Okay

Just wanted to make sure.

That's the best thing I've

Ever, ever had.

This thing, this...

I don't know how to say it.

It's just...

it can't get away from me if I'm

In this place.

I thought you were

Going to grow wings.

I was trying.

We wanted to believe that

Music would help Marylou stay

With her family longer.

We didn't know if it

Could do this, until we

Met Norman and Nell.

Nell and I have been

Able to avoid long term care for

A number of years by

Trying to keep her

Constantly stimulated.

Music has

Been an enormous part of it.

Then you'll play the piano for

Us?

Yes, but I just want to be

With you lot.

Okay.

Do you mind?

Absolutely not.

I'd love that.

Norman has cared for Nell at

Home for 10 years

Without drugs.

Without personalized music,

Nell would be in

An institution.

I have spent 38 years now

Working on Alzheimer's disease

And I haven't done anything for

Patients that's as effective

As the music therapy is.

I wish I had, and I'm

Still trying.

But I really haven't seen

Anything as positive as that.

Marylou and Nell have

Family.

Imagine having to navigate this

On your own, far from

Your home.

Denise got a message to us that

She wanted us to come back...

That she had something she

Wanted to tell us.

And we came...

Dan, how are you?

Because we know

No one else visits her.

It's a letter from the

Hospital describing her

Condition.

"Meta-Stasis..."

That means that it has

Spread.

Yes.

So, because of that, I think

It's very serious.

It is very serious.

You know, life goes on.

It goes on!

Whether you die or not,

It goes on.

And I can not accept that

I don't leave something in

This world for somebody.

I cannot accept that!

Do you understand what

I am saying?

It's painful to feel that

What you have to give

Is not needed.

That there's no one there to

Receive your gifts...

in our past, in all our

Stories, in other cultures,

Elderhood had something to

Give, and there was

Always someone there who needed

What elders had to give.

Is this true in our new world?

Does elderhood have a place?

We're taught from

A very early age that adulthood

Is the pinnacle of existence.

And that older people are really

Just broken-Down versions of

Their former incredible

Selves...

we've built a culture that

Prizes individuals who are

Able to emulate

The success of machines,

That can be machine-Like

In how they live.

This is not good news for aging,

I have to say, because aging is

Not a machine-Like endeavor.

And it's the fact that they are

Moving into a different way of

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