Product Description:
Choose a title above from the following Academic Success programs:
#37366 Life and Death: Medical Ethics of the Schiavo Case (Run Time 14 min.) DVD $49.95
Many who followed the Terri Schiavo case struggled to make sense of the flurry of opinions it generated. This NewsHour program, recorded during the last days of Terri Shiavo's life, presents two opposing yet thoroughly reasoned perspectives on the issues. Beth Israel Medical Center neurologist Dr. Russell Portenov explains the medical justification for removing the feeding tube, while Dr. Robert George, professor of jurisprudence at Princeton University and a member of the President's Council on Bioethics, raises legal and moral questions surrounding the decision. Keeping its focus on the Schiavo controversy, the program also explores implications for other potential end-of-life situations. (12 minutes)
#10478 Living with Dying (Run Time 87 min.) DVD $69.95
Death, which sooner or later comes to all, is treated as a strangely taboo subject in America. In this program, veteran PBS journalist Bill Moyers describes the search for new ways of thinking-and talking-about dying. Forgoing the usual reluctance that most Americans show toward speaking about death, patients and medical professionals alike come forward to examine the end of life with honesty, courage, and even humor, demonstrating that dying can be an incredibly rich experience for both the terminally ill and their loved ones. The DVD version of this program also includes a special video introduction by Mr. Moyers. (87 minutes)
#10479 A Different Kind of Care (Run Time 87 min.) DVD $69.95
At the end of life, what many Americans want is physical and spiritual comfort in a home setting. In this program, veteran PBS journalist Bill Moyers presents the important strides being made in the area of palliative care at pioneering institutions such as New York's Mt. Sinai Medical Center and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. These advances are bringing peace to those who fear that they will be a burden to loved ones, will suffer needlessly, or will be abandoned in their hour of greatest need. The DVD version of this program also includes a special video introduction by Mr. Moyers. (87 minutes)
#10480 A Death of One's Own (Run Time 87 min.) DVD $69.95
More and more Americans are looking for opportunities to exert some measure of control over where and how they die. In this program, veteran PBS journalist Bill Moyers unravels the complexities underlying the many choices at the end of life, including the bitter debate over physician-assisted suicide. Three patients, their families, and their doctors discuss some of the hardest decisions, including how to pay for care, what constitutes humane treatment, and how to balance dying and dignity. In the end, do these patients die the way they wanted? Yes...and no. The DVD version of this program also includes a special video introduction by Mr. Moyers. (87 minutes)
#10481 A Time to Change (Run Time 87 min.) DVD $69.95
Whether they want to or not, four out of five Americans will likely die in hospitals or nursing homes, and the care they get will depend on both who is providing it and who is footing the bill. In this program, veteran PBS journalist Bill Moyers introduces crusading medical professionals-including staff members of the Balm of Gilead Project in Birmingham, Alabama-who have dedicated themselves to improving end-of-life care by changing America's overburdened health system. The DVD version of this program also includes a special video introduction by Mr. Moyers. (87 minutes)
#10735 Dying with Dignity: The Sun City Choice (Run Time 15 min.) DVD $69.95
In this program, NewsHour correspondent Susan Dentzer reports on life and death in Sun City, Arizona, a vibrant retirement community where hospice is the preferred form of end-of-life care. Dartmouth Medical School's John Wennberg and others consider the desire of many senior citizens with terminal illnesses to make peace with death rather than fight it. They also confront the fact that statistics show no direct correlation between costly ICU interventions and patient longevity. As America's elderly population doubles over the next 35 years, will more seniors opt for meeting the end in the Sun City way? (15 minutes)
#1439 Studies in Aging (Run Time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program reports on current research to determine the effects of aging. It features a 74-year-old father and his 38-year-old son, as well as the community of Roseto, Pennsylvania, subject of a landmark study in aging begun in 1964. Here it develops that the socioeconomic factors that once kept the town young no longer exist, and that residents of Roseto now have heart attack rates comparable to national averages. (19 minutes)
#1440 Alzheimer's Disease: The Long Nightmare (Run Time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program shows both the limitations researchers face in finding the cause of Alzheimer's and such recent research findings as the biochemical defect that interferes with protein production in the brain-a link to heredity for at least one form of the disease. The program shows the medical side of Alzheimer's and the human side, citing the emotional and financial aspects of caring for victims and showing the role of different types of care. (19 minutes)
#1447 Caring for the Elderly (Run Time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program provides an overview of the various methods of care available for the aging, from day care centers and group housing to respite care and nursing homes. It profiles a middle-aged couple searching for the best mode of care for their parents, and talks to social workers, senior citizen advocates, and nursing home administrators to clarify the available options and the emotional and financial impact on adult children and their parents. (19 minutes)
#1573 Ageless America (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $89.95
The focus of this program: caring for the elderly; why women live longer than men; the prospect of aging for a new generation of the middle-aged with fewer children and many more single women; the "sandwich generation" of adults with responsibility for aging parents and young children; and the process and problems of aging itself. (52 minutes)
#1591 The Wit and Wisdom of Aging (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
Norman Cousins, himself a survivor of death sentences passed by his doctors, worked with "terminal" cancer patients who refused to die as scheduled. The will to survive and to be healed are potent medicines; in many cases the incurable have been cured. (26 minutes)
#1968 How to Live Longer...Better (Run Time 25 min.) DVD $89.95
This program focuses on the lifestyle changes, with emphasis on exercise, that are playing an important part in extending the lifespan of Americans. Running and walking are covered; a cardiologist cautions that exercise must be approached carefully and done regularly without intermittent overexertion. The role of pharmaceuticals in prolonging life is discussed, as well as the avoidance of smoking and excessive alcohol, and the need for both social involvement and the availability of good medical care. (58 minutes)
#1991 Jenny's Song (Run Time 90 min.) DVD $89.95
Starring Ben Vereen and Jessica Walter, this dramatization helps young people and their families to cope with the death of a loved one, to understand the process of grief, and to learn to deal with a world that continues as if nothing had happened. This program prepares those whom such tragedy will strike during their school years, as well as their classmates and teachers. Psychologist Dr. Sandra Fox of the Boston Good Grief Program consulted in the production. (90 minutes)
#2373 Saying Good-Bye (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
Almost no one will escape the pain of surviving a loved one. This program from The Doctor Is In talks to people who have gone through this difficult time to find out how they dealt with their grief: a support group for widows, a woman whose parents died within a year of each other, and a woman whose husband died of cancer and left her with a young child. Also interviewed are a hospital chaplain and the director of a hospice. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center production. (26 minutes)
#2652 Nursing Home Care (Run Time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program shows that some senior citizens can live independently-it profiles a man of 95 who lives actively with a minimal amount of community help and with no more serious medical problems than many people one-third his age. But many seniors not nearly his age require more assistance. This program shows a well-run nursing home and describes its concerns. It also provides criteria for evaluating nursing homes, and suggests alternative care for seniors. (19 minutes)
#2878 Factors in Healthy Aging (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
A half-century-long study that examined the mental health of Harvard graduates over their lifetimes is used to illuminate the predictors of healthy aging. Viewers also follow several elderly people as they go through their days and discuss their routines and their health. The impact of diet, smoking, drinking, family history, and personality is discussed. New research is highlighted that offers the possibility of altering our genetic structure to enable us to live longer and in better health. From The Doctor Is In. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center production. (28 minutes)
#3039 Family Caregivers (Run Time 30 min.) DVD $89.95
What is it like to care for a dying parent, a 35-year-old husband with a progressive disease, or a young child with severe developmental disabilities? This program from The Doctor Is In steps into the lives of caregivers and their families and offers ideas for dealing with the stresses. Maggie Strong, author of Mainstay, a book about caregiving based on her experiences in caring for her husband, talks about the Well Spouse Foundation and other help available to caregivers. Leonard Kaye and Jeffrey Applegate, professors at the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research at Bryn Mawr College, discuss their research on men as caregivers. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center production. (30 minutes)
#3142 The Aging Process (Run Time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
Part of the aging process is inevitable-but only part. This program explains the effects of aging on the human mind and body, explores the "damage" and "cell clock" theories about why cells wear out, and examines the lifestyle habits that affect both longevity and the quality of life; these include exercise, regular checkups for cancer, proper diet, moderate drinking, and no smoking. The program points out that it is never too late to mend one's ways. (19 minutes)
#3918 Accidents Do Happen (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
Accidental death invariably gives rise to a whole series of what ifs. The producer of this program lost his only son in a fire; in this program, he talks with four families about their anger, bewilderment, and grief at their loss of a child and confronts the feelings of isolation and loneliness they all experience. (26 minutes)
#4416 Caring for Your Parents (Run Time 19 min.) DVD $89.95
This program deals with the problems of caring for elderly parents while attempting to maintain one's own family and career. It looks at the signals that a parent may need help in taking care of him or herself, dealing with a parent's anger and helplessness, adjusting to role reversal, and finding and choosing between available options to deal with tough problems. (19 minutes)
#5361 Loose Ends: Aging and Losing Control (Run Time 94 min.) DVD $89.95
Here is a stark, unpretty, unretouched, and deeply touching view inside an institution for the demented elderly. For two months, the film crew lived together with a group of patients who have lost different aspects and varying degrees of what we consider "normalcy." The result is sometimes uncomfortably close as the film demands that the viewer confront his or her own fears of aging and losing control, accepting the five main characters on their own terms, expanding the sense of what is recognizably warm and human to encompass the often frightening world of these patients. In Dutch with English subtitles. (94 minutes)
#5516 Aging (Run Time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
The populations of many countries are aging. While this demographic trend is relatively recent, the aging process itself is as old as life. What causes us to age biologically? Is it possible, or even desirable, to slow the process down, or try to eliminate it? This program lets the researchers speak. An important aspect of their work lies in understanding the cause of Alzheimer's disease, and developing effective treatments. (23 minutes)
#5606 Death (Run Time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
We talk little of it, although it fascinates us. What is death, and why is it the ultimate destiny of every living organism? This program shows that death is an essential element in the survival of species. Medicine is trying to postpone death and medical progress has required a new definition of death: cerebral death. The program covers the psychological, social, and religious dimensions of death, mourning, and the acceptance of death. (23 minutes)
#5691 Terminal Illness: When It Happens to You (Run Time 54 min.) DVD $89.95
This program profiles a terminally-ill patient, his courageous battle against cancer, and the emotional toll his illness takes on his family. At the age of 46, Chris Brotherton was diagnosed with a brain tumor and given only a few months to live. The program follows the last six months of his life, and shows how he, his wife and young son, and the medical staff at a hospice deal with his illness. This is an open, deeply moving but unsentimental record of their thoughts and emotions. (54 minutes)
#7942 The Tougher Sex: Gender and Longevity (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
Statistically, women live longer than men. Why is this so? This program examines the question using statistical, genetic, and archaeological data. The sex activity of fruit flies is studied to determine its effect on male life span. Two-hundred-year-old remains indicate that longevity in women may be a modern phenomenon. Work-related stress, and even degrees of affluence, seem to play a role in determining how long men live versus women. Efforts by medical experts are helping men to manipulate factors that may close the longevity gap. (26 minutes)
#8595 The Midlife Passage (Run Time 24 min.) DVD $89.95
In this contemplative program, several people strive to answer the question "Where am I going?" by sharing the defining moments of their lives as they have come to understand them in their middle years. Some common themes among the participants are a sense of dissatisfaction with their successes, an awareness of fleeting time, and a consciousness of having tried to live up to the expectations of others. In addition, they discuss their efforts to reassess their lives, their satisfaction in making peace with the past, and their determination to steer their remaining years mindfully. (24 minutes)
#9192 Living with Incontinence: Solutions for Today's Women (Run Time 22 min.) DVD $89.95
Although nearly 85% of the 17 million Americans who deal with urinary incontinence are women, very few feel comfortable discussing the condition-even with their own doctors. In this program, the Chief of Urology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, the Director of Education at the American Foundation for Urologic Disease, a urogynecologist, and others explore the causes of urinary incontinence, the need for greater doctor-patient communication, urodynamic testing procedures, and a wide variety of treatment options. (22 minutes)
#9262 Elder Abuse: America's Growing Crime (Run Time 16 min.) DVD $89.95
It has been estimated that 1.5 million elder Americans suffer neglect, mistreatment, and even financial exploitation at the hands of their own families. In this program, ABC News correspondents Diane Sawyer and Marti Emerald probe what is quickly becoming the fastest-growing family crime in the U.S. Together they investigate several cases of elder abuse and examine the efforts of crusaders such as the members of the ground-breaking Fiduciary Abuse Specialist Team, a volunteer network of social workers, bankers, lawyers, doctors, and police personnel who seek out evidence of financially abused senior citizens. (16 minutes)
#10675 Living Longer ... Living Better? (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $89.95
Thanks to recent advances in medicine, longevity is on the rise. But will America's youth-oriented society finally develop the maturity to respect its elders? And will the Medicare and Social Security infrastructures be able to meet the needs of the Baby Boomers? In this program, experts including medical ethicist David Solomon, the directors of the Aging with Dignity Institute and the Forever Learning Institute, and the author of Another Country...Navigating the Emotional Terrain of Elders examine these and other pressing quality-of-life questions. (29 minutes)
#10676 Living Longer ... Aging Well (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $89.95
Although many cultures venerate their elders, looking to them as living repositories of wisdom and experience, America, with its "forever young" self-image, does not. Lacking societal support, how are Americans supposed to age well-to grow older with grace and understanding-and make life's final decades a meaningful experience? This program features the stories of exemplary individuals who, despite the inhospitable social climate, are growing older with courage and dignity. (29 minutes)
#11015 Grief and Healing (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
The news of a loved one's impending death is often accompanied by an initial reaction of fear. In this program, introduced by NewsHour's Ray Suarez and facilitated by Frank Ostaseski, founder of San Francisco's Zen Hospice Project, seven everyday people reflect on their experiences with loss, grief, and healing. Discussing what they fear, how they would say good-bye, and other deeply personal topics, some discover the transformation and healing that may occur in such moments. The program concludes with a simple exercise in which participants write a final message to their loved ones, toss the paper into a fire, and watch the ashes rise into the darkness. (26 minutes)
#11016 Difficult Decisions: When a Loved One Approaches Death (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
When a loved one's fate lies in another's hands, the decisions can be overwhelming. This program, hosted by NewsHour's Ray Suarez, follows two families as they grapple with life-and-death decisions inside an ICU. A doctor, an ethicist, and others help these families through the process of making decisions on behalf of those who are no longer able to communicate their wishes. La Vera Crawley, of Stanford University's bioethics department, helps the families better understand the difficult decisions they are expected to make. (26 minutes)
#11017 Caregiving (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
Every day, 25 million Americans provide care for loved ones. This program, hosted by NewsHour's Ray Suarez, looks at the rich rewards and wisdom that often attend such care, as well as at the hard work that home healthcare entails. Drawing on the direct experience of family members and others, including author Beth Witrogen McLeod-whose book Caregiving, the Spiritual Journey of Love, Loss, and Renewal was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize-the program also offers caregiving advice and information that is both practical and profound. (26 minutes)
#11018 Beyond Life and Death (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
What happens after bodily death? This program, hosted by NewsHour's Ray Suarez, explores how beliefs about an afterlife affect the way people live their lives and approach death. In a lively, insightful dialogue, Tibetan Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman and teacher/author Rabbi David Wolpe discuss the concepts of heaven and reincarnation while presenting their different views of what they believe may lie beyond the mortal veil. (26 minutes)
#11214 A Desperate Act: Suicide and the Elderly (Run Time 24 min.) DVD $89.95
Families are often ashamed of it, institutions frequently downplay it, and society usually denies that it even exists: suicide among the elderly. This program comes to grips with the chronic depression that leads too many senior citizens to take their own lives. Promoting prevention, intervention, and follow-up, medical experts use three case studies as a basis for discussing the warning signs of depression and treatment through counseling, education, medication, electroconvulsive therapy, and occupational therapy. Ageism and the marginalization of seniors in a youth-dominated culture are also addressed. (24 minutes)
#33019 The Right to Die: Terri Schiavo (Run Time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
Her feeding tube removed, Terri Schiavo has passed away. Medically speaking, was she in a persistent vegetative state or a locked-in state? On that question hung Terri's fate for more than a decade. Was she alive in a meaningful sense? Her husband said no; her parents said yes. This ABC News program, broadcast at the time when Terri's case was brought before the Florida legislature and Governor Jeb Bush, gives background on the acrimonious battle of life and death in which Terri was a pawn and then analyzes the medical, ethical, and legal aspects of the precedent-setting case. (23 minutes)
#33509 Creating a Good Death: Coping with Terminal Illness (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
For years, Laura Schmidt helped cancer patients come to terms with their mortality. She even had a degree in thanatology, the study of death and dying. Then, at the age of 51, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. This ABC News program follows Laura through her final months as she applies her knowledge and experience to her own case, squarely addressing end-of-life issues to create a good death that would leave herself and those caring for her at peace. Interviews conducted with her husband and others after Laura passed away provide additional insights into the end of life even as they add closure to the story of a caring person who had the courage to model the very behaviors she had instilled in so many others. (27 minutes)
#6035 Living Fully Until Death (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $99.95
Most people today die as a result of a chronic disease. Many will know the cause of their death for some time prior to dying, causing a great deal of stress and turmoil for both themselves and their families. This program from The Doctor Is In offers the inspirational tales of three people who find new meaning in life and the courage to deal with the challenge of living fully after learning they have a terminal illness. Featured in the program are the late Morrie Schwartz, a Brandeis University professor profiled in the best-seller Tuesdays with Morrie, who was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS); Shirley Waring, a mother of four adult children, who has leukemia; and William Meyer, who has lung cancer. Each has struggled in his or her own unique way to try to find personal control, to plan for the unknown, and to find a place for spirituality. As Morrie Schwartz notes, "Learning to die is also learning how to live." A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center production. (29 minutes)
#6405 The Science of Staying Young: Unlocking the Secrets of Longevity (Run Time 22 min.) DVD $99.95
New research about how our brains work, about the diseases associated with old age, and about nutrition is leading scientists to redefine what it means to grow old. This program examines this research, looking at a study of a new way to prevent the onset of age-related dementia, the effects of the hormone DHEA on aging, and at therapy aimed at helping Alzheimer's patients re-activate their memories. (22 minutes)
#8355 Chronic Anxiety in the Elderly (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $129.95
This program addresses the problem of anxiety in the elderly and the diseases associated with the problem. Interviews with sufferers of GAD, Geriatric Anxiety Disorder, provide insights into the agony of the condition. General anxiety disorders, their symptoms, and physiological manifestations are examined, including chemical imbalance, psychosocial implications, and the emotional impact on the aged brought on by radical societal changes. Caffeine, cigarettes, and alcohol are also discussed as possible instigators. (27 minutes)
#8399 Toward a Better Death (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $129.95
This informative program explores the choices open to terminally ill patients and their families, presenting the options available for comfortable end-of-life care that attends to physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Medical experts and caregivers discuss the difficult choices that arise, including the moral and legal controversies and medical options available when a cure is no longer an option. Important information about living wills and health care proxies is also provided. (27 minutes)
#8491 Aging and Saging (Run Time 24 min.) DVD $129.95
American culture reveres youth, so there is little room today for the elderly, who are expected to drop out of public life so they will not remind the young of their own mortality. Earlier societies valued the extended family. When elders are excluded, society's fiber is seriously weakened. This program takes viewers to a weekend Elder Circle at the Omega Institute, a large human potential center. A discussion is moderated by the influential and provocative author/teachers Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Ram Dass. As America's aging population continues to grow, there is an urgent need to help the elderly redefine themselves as role models of healthy and graceful aging and to reincorporate them into society as a valuable resource. This powerful program is an excellent source of information for anyone trying to understand the cultural perspectives of aging. (24 minutes)
#8890 I'm Really Going to Miss Me: Coping with Terminal Illness (Run Time 59 min.) DVD $129.95
How do people approach life when the end is near? Taking a personal rather than clinical approach, this sensitive documentary records the intimate thoughts and feelings of Bobbie Martin, diagnosed with leukemia; Jeff Swinerton, with lymphatic cancer; Paul Starr, with AIDS; and Chennelle Jaramillo, with Batten Disease, a degenerative neuromuscular disorder. Hopes, fears, regrets, the reactions of others, and preparations for the end are all candidly discussed, offering a penetrating look at what life is really like for those who don't have long to live. (59 minutes)
#9169 100-Something (Run Time 47 min.) DVD $129.95
Once a rarity, centenarians are becoming noticeably less unusual. How have they managed to live so long in such good health? In this program, doctors from Harvard Medical School's New England Centenarian Study and the University of Georgia's study of extreme longevity search for a correlation between life span and the genetic, physical, psychological, and cognitive dimensions of aging. In addition, people who have surpassed the ten-decade mark offer personal insights into the importance of key aspects of life such as faith, exercise, nutrition, sexuality, and continued involvement in daily routines and meaningful work. (47 minutes)
#9297 Managing Care, Managing Death (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $129.95
To decrease the suffering of terminally ill patients, some doctors routinely prescribe strong painkillers-medications that, in effect, actually hasten the patient's death. What distinguishes such treatment from physician-assisted suicide? This program discusses legislative initiatives designed to protect patients from "disguised euthanasia"-and addresses the volatile question of whether such laws are a threat to the professional judgment of doctors. Experts include Professor David Orenlicher, former counsel to the AMA; Dr. Zeke Emmanuel, of the NIH's Department of Clinical Bioethics; and Yale University's Dr. Sherwin Nuland, author of How We Die. (29 minutes)
#10583 Before I Die: Medical Care and Personal Choices (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $129.95
In the drive to save lives, American medical technology prolongs the dying process for many, creating a number of end-of-life scenarios that have done much to rob death of its dignity and significance. This Fred Friendly Seminar, moderated by Harvard Law School's Arthur Miller, brings together a diverse group of panelists, including Yale professor Sherwin Nuland, author of How We Die; bioethicist Arthur Caplan, of the University of Pennsylvania; Rabbi Maurice Lamm, of Yeshiva University; and Anna Quindlen, author and Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist. Together they confront medical and cultural issues such as advance directives, palliative care, physician-assisted suicide, the need to re-spiritualize the dying process, and the overall difficulty of discussing death. A Discussion Guide and other resources are located online at www.fredfriendlyseminars.org/bid. (60 minutes)
#10734 Substance Abuse in the Elderly (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $129.95
Faced with complex regimens of medication and diminished tolerances for alcohol, many elderly Americans run the risk of falling into the trap of substance abuse. In this program from The Doctor Is In, senior citizens discuss how they deal with these challenges, while Dr. James Campbell, director of the geriatric center at MetroHealth Medical Center, and Carol Colleran Egan, director of older adult services for Hanley-Hazelden Center, present some innovative programs created especially for elderly people. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Production. (30 minutes)
#11400 Accepting Life's Transitions (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $129.95
Aging is a series of transitions, some gradual and some abrupt. How do people come to terms with these changes? This program examines the aging process from beginning to end, defining age from the viewpoints of biology, psychology, society, functionality, and the law. The impact of current behaviors and attitudes on one's future self is also discussed, as well as dying-itself a part of life-and the stages of grieving. In addition, the program addresses the health challenges faced by older Americans and indicates why some seniors cope better than others. (29 minutes)
#31344 Geriatric Medicine: Innovations and Applications (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
In Europe and America alike, senior citizens are poised to become the defining demographic group. What is the Western medical community doing to better serve this vital population? To find out, this documentary travels to Germany, a progressive locus of geriatric research and elder-care innovation. Topics include anti-aging therapies, quality-of-life issues, post-hospitalization rehabilitation programs, courses that promote independence and overall well-being, senior-friendly household appliances, and remarkable genetic experiments with worms that have succeeded in doubling the creatures' life spans and improving their health. A Deutsche Welle Production. (26 minutes)
#32230 Maintaining Mental Health (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $129.95
Aging well might be an ambiguous phrase but it does have meaning, especially for people over 60. This program tells the stories of five vibrantly alive seniors who have successfully navigated through momentous life changes. Their examples highlight important precepts for staying mentally healthy, showing how mental health is a key to successful aging. In interviews and in footage of these men and women engaged in various activities, the program provides useful tips and firsthand advice on planning for retirement, staying active, coping with grief, and making the senior years an age of new discoveries. (57 minutes)
#35274 Prisoners of Age (Run Time 49 min.) DVD $129.95
Raising complex and timely questions about the warehousing of America's prison population, this program accompanies photographer Ron Levine on his mission to depict the physical, emotional, and psychological conditions of aging inmates-including those nearing death. Levine focuses his work on Alabama's Hamilton Institute for the Aged and Infirm, the first prison created specifically for elderly convicts. Through Levine's documentation and interviews, the humanity of those incarcerated emerges in poignant detail, leading viewers to assess their own beliefs about rehabilitation, victims' rights, and how far society's punishment should go. (50 minutes)
#2374 Children Die, Too (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $149.95
No one is ever prepared for a child's death or able to accept it with equanimity, but there are ways to live through this intensely sad experience. This program from The Doctor Is In introduces some people who have felt this pain, and who can offer some suggestions for going through the process. A couple whose three-year-old daughter died suddenly, a teenage girl whose sister died from leukemia, a mother whose six-month-old died from multiple birth defects, and a young woman who has undergone two miscarriages and two stillbirths talk about their experiences. Dr. Sandra Fox of Boston's Good Grief Program discusses how people can help each other after the death of a child. A pediatric oncology nurse explains how a cancer treatment team can help families through a child's terminal diagnosis and treatment. The program also visits an art therapy class for children and talks to the teacher about how children express grief. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center production. (26 minutes)
#5389 Aging Well (Run Time 18 min.) DVD $149.95
This program introduces two senior women, a 76-year-old and a 65-year-old, as examples of the "new" senior citizen of the '90s. The program explains how these people are living longer than their parents did and why they are staying healthier. It examines medical advances that continue to boost our life expectancy rate, and the role that lifestyle changes play. The program also explores what seniors can do to motivate themselves to keep their mental powers sharp, and the effects of aging on mental skills. Finally, the program looks at the emotional issues of aging, such as the death of one's spouse, and explores how seniors can be helped to overcome feelings of loneliness and uselessness. (18 minutes)
#6284 Letting Go: A Hospice Journey (Run Time 90 min.) DVD $149.95
For terminally ill patients and their families, hospice can provide an opportunity to find comfort, companionship, and peace in the weeks, days, hours, and moments before death. Taking an intimate look at three patients-an eight-year-old boy with an incurable brain disease, a 46-year-old woman with lung cancer, and a 62-year-old man with an inoperable brain tumor-this program shows how hospice care helps them cope with fear and pain in the final stages of their lives, and prepares loved ones for their imminent loss. In addition to extensive footage of the hospice patients and their families, the program sheds light on the decision-making process of the doctors, nurses, chaplains, social workers, and volunteers involved in the hospice. An HBO Production. (90 minutes)
#6667 The Gift of Aging (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $149.95
Longevity has increased by thirty years in the 20th century, and most of us enjoy better health in those later years. How five individuals are spending their later years is the subject of this inspiring program from The Doctor Is In. The seniors include the 74-year-old former editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, Helen Gurley Brown, and her film producer husband, David Brown; Lydia Bronte, author of The Longevity Factor; a Vermont couple, who divide their time between work and volunteer projects; and an 84-year-old chemical engineer and world traveler. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center production. (29 minutes)
#7417 Between Life and Death (Run Time 51 min.) DVD $149.95
According to polls, 70 percent of Americans believe in life after death. This program investigates that possibility and provides astonishing testimony from those who claim to have had out-of-body experiences, including one man who "died" for 32 minutes. Religious and scientific theories are examined by experts on both sides. Laboratory studies attempt to provide rational explanations, as subjects are neurologically stimulated and share common visions of dark tunnels with beckoning light sources. Are these euphoric, culturally determined hallucinations triggered by endorphins released under stress, or proof of an afterlife? This is a fascinating intellectual and spiritual foray into a controversial and elusive topic. (51 minutes)
#7677 Death: An Overview (Run Time 49 min.) DVD $149.95
This step-by-step program takes the myth and mystery out of the process of dying and death itself, and presents both as biological and clinical realities. An 82-year-old terminally ill patient and those who provide palliative care witness the death process. Cameras also venture behind the closed doors of a mortuary to shed light on the scientific and commercial aspects of death, including body preparation, embalming, and cremation. (49 minutes)
#30194 Our Grieving Hearts: Stories of Parental Bereavement (Run Time 46 min.) DVD $149.95
Franca and Peter Napoli said a long goodbye to their 4-year-old daughter Christina, who died of a brain tumor. Linda and Glen Woods lost two sons, one in a car accident, one to suicide. And Margaret and former Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau's son Michel drowned. In this powerful program, three couples describe the ordeal of losing a child and their search for meaning in the face of tragedy that can become an all-consuming grief. It is a search that begins with tears, denial, and guilt at surviving one's offspring, but often ends in a new equilibrium and a heightened sense of the sacredness of life. (46 minutes)
#33915 The End: Families Facing Death (Run Time 85 min.) DVD $149.95
This program examines terminal illness through the darkly fascinating lens of family dynamics. The loved ones of five different hospice patients document their experiences, creating video diaries that are part case study, part family album. With intermittent views into the heavy responsibilities of hospice social workers-who must juggle clinical procedure, unpredictable group psychology, and their own conflicting emotions-The End clearly illustrates that the slow process of dying is never just one individual's journey, and that impending loss amplifies our deepest emotional connections. A provocative analysis of the end-of-life experience. An HBO Production. (85 minutes)
#37606 Growing Old (Run Time 74 min.) DVD $149.95
Most people are unwilling to confront aging-even many seniors live in denial of it. Some fear losing their independence and autonomy, while others simply can't accept the graying of their hair. This program explores the varied landscape of aging in America, presenting the realities-physical, medical, emotional, and economic-of growing old in a youth-obsessed society. Whether they are well off in retirement, financially marginalized, in good health, or terminally ill, the film's participants provide moving and provocative commentary and raise several challenging questions. What exactly is the healthy way to grow old? Is age a disease to be battled or a beautiful stage of life to be embraced and celebrated? Perhaps most importantly, how can we reverse our society's neglect of the elderly? (74 minutes)
#10674 Aging: Growing Old in a Youth-Centered Culture (Run Time min.) DVD $179.90
A longer life span is not a fountain of youth. As future generations routinely join the ranks of the centenarians, America must retool its youth-oriented culture into something more elder-friendly than it is now. This timely two-part series addresses the multifaceted issue of maintaining a good quality of life over the long haul, as the senior-set becomes the dominant demographic segment in a nation where a premium is still placed on being young. 2-part series, 29 minutes each.
#32798 The Aging Game (Run Time min.) DVD $249.75
While technology and economic factors have a great impact, social customs and values can be equally as important in caring for the elderly. This five-part series begins with an assessment of global demographics, focusing on the incredible rise of elderly populations worldwide, and then looks at the welfare of senior citizens in Tunisia, Japan, Nigeria, and India. A United Nations Production. 5-part series, 9-16 minutes each.
#10477 On Our Own Terms: Moyers on Dying in America (Run Time 360 min.) DVD $279.80
In this acclaimed four-part series, veteran PBS journalist Bill Moyers reports on the growing movement in America to improve care for people who are dying. Using interviews and research from across the country, each program describes the intimate experiences of patients, families, and caregivers as they struggle to infuse life's ultimate rite of passage with compassion and comfort. The DVD version of this series also includes a special video introduction by Mr. Moyers. This powerful series is available exclusively through Films for the Humanities & Sciences. 4-part series, 87 minutes each.
#11014 With Eyes Open: Coping with Death (Run Time min.) DVD $359.80
This provocative four-part series, hosted by NewsHour's Ray Suarez, invites viewers to look at death with their eyes open to the end, so that they may more fully live in the natural light of the inevitability of dying. Topics such as grief, medical decision making, caregiving, and life after death are discussed in intimate groups. Simple exercises to assist in the healing process are included. 4-part series, 26 minutes each.
#32229 Well into Your Future: Mental Health and Aging (Run Time min.) DVD $389.85
Created to meet the needs of a steadily growing American senior population, this series addresses important issues that affect quality of life for older men and women, as well as their spouses, family, and friends. Through scenes of daily living, interviews, and expert commentary, the programs provide valuable insights and advice on mental wellness, the key to successful aging. 3-part series, 55 minutes each.
#3333 Brief Lives (Run Time min.) DVD $739.65
The death of a child is often the most difficult of all deaths to accept. This series explores how families cope with the death of children and young people, each program focusing on a different kind of death and offering the experiences of family, friends, and support professionals with this almost taboo subject. 7-part series.
