Circle of Love

Caregiver Florence Collins shoots a home video of her husband Russell (left) with son-in law Steven Everett.

WHYY Press Room

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CIRCLE OF LOVE, a series of three 30-minute programs featuring first-person accounts of the daily struggles and joys of caregiving, will be broadcast on Wednesday, January 21; Thursday, January 22; and Friday, January 23 at 7:30 p.m. on WHYY-TV12 (series will be rebroadcast in its entirety on Sunday, January 25 at 1:30 p.m.). The programs offer an intimate look at the private lives of family caregivers and the loved ones they care for, as they deal with health issues such as autism, depression, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia.

WHYY provided digital cameras to four local families enabling them to capture their individual stories on tape. These home videos, combined with scenes taped by WHYY, provide an innovative and personal exploration into the often-overlooked experiences of family caregivers. The CIRCLE OF LOVE series is one of many media platforms utilized by WHYY to draw attention to the issue of caregiving, which currently affects more than one quarter of the adult population.

The first episode, LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER’S, broadcast on Wednesday, January 21 at 7:30 p.m., features Carol Francis who cares for her husband, Alfred, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. From their home in Newark, Delaware, Carol explains how her husband’s diagnosis has changed her life. She states, “I was sick to my stomach. I was heartbroken that this had happened to him, and to us.” Eventually, she found the strength to provide her husband with the daily care that he so desperately needs, including assistance with basic tasks such as bathing, shaving and changing clothes. “No one else will take care of him like I can,” states Carol.

“The last six months have been a roller-coaster ride,” states Florence Collins from Wilmington, Delaware, who provides constant care for her husband who suffers from Frontal Temporal Dementia (FTD). In the program, Florence speaks candidly about the depression she has experienced since becoming her husband’s caregiver. “You are in a dark valley. You are in a space where you no longer have control,” she says. She finds solace in a caregiver support group. “Support groups are great. You learn that there are people who are going through the same things that you are.”

On Thursday, January 22 at 7:30 p.m., CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS will take viewers into the home of a Cherry Hill, New Jersey, couple who have four young children, of whom three have disabilities such as autism, mosaic Down syndrome and mosaic fragile X . Dan Curran explains that before he started filming his children for the program, he had a tendency to “normalize” their behavior. “When I got behind the camera, their differences became very apparent.” Carolyn Curran adds, “You realize that this is your flesh and blood. There is more to them than just their disabilities.”

On Friday, January 23 at 7:30 p.m., CARING FOR AN AGING PARENT tells the story of Ana Mulero, a Latina woman from Philadelphia whose mother does not speak English and is clinically depressed. Although Ana once had a difficult and problematic relationship with her mother, she now must care for her. Ana’s riveting chronicle of her life as her mother’s caregiver demonstrates what it is like to provide care for a family member, while at the same time dealing with a strained relationship.

After each program airs, viewers can call WHYY at 215-351-2095 to speak with professionals who can provide additional information and resources about caregiving and related health issues.

In addition to the three-part series, 10 different two-minute segments that address caregiver issues and promote resources will be broadcast on TV12 during regular programming.

The CIRCLE OF LOVE series is a joint project of WHYY Wider Horizons, a strategic service to make a difference in the lives of older persons and children of aging parents, and WHYY’s Caring Community Coalition, comprised of volunteer representatives from almost 100 local community-based organizations that serve individuals and families dealing with end-of-life and chronic illness.

“WHYY is very honored to present the CIRCLE OF LOVE series, says Willo Carey, Executive Director of WHYY’s Wider Horizons. “It gives us the opportunity to expand our efforts to address issues of family caregiving, which is a focus of our partnership with Caring Community.”

Other upcoming events include a special edition of 91FM’s VOICES IN THE FAMILY on Monday, January 12 at noon (repeated on Sunday, January 18 at 6:00 a.m.). Dan Gottlieb, Ph.D., will host a special program on Alzheimer’s. Gottlieb will also host a town meeting at WHYY’s Technology Center in Philadelphia (date TBD) that will feature experts on the disease. For more information about these and other upcoming events, as well as resource listings, visit www.widerhorizons.org .

WHYY-TV12 will also broadcast THE FORGETTING: A PORTRAIT OF ALZEIMER’S on Wednesday, January 21 at 9:00 p.m. This program will help viewers better understand and cope with the fearsome disease of Alzheimer’s. The program will weave together the history and biology of the disease, the intense real-world experiences of Alzheimer’s patients and the race to find a cure. Immediately following the program at 10:30 p.m., WHYY will rebroadcast CIRCLE OF LOVE: LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER’S.

Executive Producer for CIRCLE OF LOVE is Trudi Brown. Andrea Campbell is Producer/Director.

CIRCLE OF LOVE was made possible by Sound Partners for Community Health , a program of the Benton Foundation, funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which is dedicated to improving health and health care for all Americans. Additional funding provided by The Patricia Kind Family Foundation.

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