Putting Alzheimer’s Disease in Focus

To help feed the growing need for information about Alzheimer’s disease, the Discovery Health Channel on Friday will show a documentary about a Leisure World resident and family coping with the early stages of the illness.

Anna Nelson, 79, will be featured on the half-hour program, “Anna’s Story: Fading Memories.” The show chronicles a typical day for Nelson and looks in on a visit with her daughter, Jamie Krakowski in Cypress.

A counselor for an Alzheimer’s disease support group in Leisure World estimates that up to 25% of the residents in the retirement community have some stage of the illness, which causes memory loss.

Mark Fieldson, from the John Douglas French Center in Los Alamitos, says that accurate numbers are difficult to ascertain because often the early symptoms go undetected.

“Leisure World is a community that protects [its residents] in many ways,” said Fieldson, whose Alzheimer’s support group meets once a month. “A little [memory] slip may go unnoticed.” A person with the early stages of the disease in retirement may be able to get by while someone in a working environment faces more demands, requiring more skills, he said.

The documentary looks at many of the concerns associated with mild memory loss and the challenges families face with the changes caused by the illness. Although Nelson still lives by herself, she requires assistance from family members with her grocery shopping, finances, taking medications and getting to appointments.

“Our story on Anna is also about her family, particularly Jamie and the responsibilities she now faces as an only child . . . protecting her mother and ensuring her continued happiness and well-being,” said Ann Hassett, producer of the documentary.

“Jamie’s interviews present a vivid portrait of the decisions the family members confront when someone they love has Alzheimer’s.”

The group in Leisure World, co-sponsored by the John Douglas French Center, is a way for people to experience “support in a tangible way,” Fieldson said. “They know they are not alone and if they needed to call someone, they could.”

The show will air at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Station numbers are available from local cable operators. For more information, call the John Douglas French Center at (562) 493-1555.

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Alex Murashko can be reached at (714) 966-5974.