KC area theater shows free movie for Alzheimer’s care. How to watch My Mama Joe

The reality of aging and caring for family members as they grow older was the focus at the Glenwood Arts Theater in Overland Park this weekend, with a free screening of My Mama Joe: Hope and Help, a documentary about the life of Joe’Anna Caldwell.

The movie is still free to watch here.

The film is a part of the Mama Joe Project, which is spreading awareness on the challenges that can arise when caring for aging family members, especially when diseases like Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia emerge.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive and degenerative disease with no current cure that involves changes in memory, thinking, speech, movement, and completing daily activities like eating, bathing, dressing, and moving, said Kelly Loeb, community engagement specialist at the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Kansas University Medical Center.

As the disease progresses, it causes challenges with short-term memory, while long-term memory is typically unaffected, said Loeb.

“There’s so many people who go through it, but not a lot of people know what to do, what it actually is, or if there are any treatments for it. So it’s just important to get the information out to the masses,” said Noah Oliver, Caldwell’s grandson, who shares his experience as a caretaker in the documentary.

The screening also included a forum about care topics like insurance coverage, money management, testing for early detection, caregiver support, localized treatment options, and more with local experts.

The experts included Loeb, who is also a state health insurance assistance counselor, Dr. Jeffrey Burns, the co-director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and Latanya Patton, a caregiver and board member of Kansas City’s chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

As the world population of people 60 years and older is projected to double by 2050, according to the World Health Organization, this film brings up an issue that will continue to gain relevance in years to come, experts say.

A life of service

The documentary tells Caldwell’s story from childhood trauma to her advocacy for abused and hungry individuals. She gained recognition for her service to the community in Jacksonville, Illinois, as a social worker, a member of the local school board, a developer of feeding and outreach programs, and co-founder of Spirit of Faith Church with her husband, Paul Caldwell Sr., according to her obituary.

“We called her Mama Joe,” said Oliver. “She was essentially like a motherly figure to everybody.”

She was also recognized for her work in the Jacksonville Area Hall of Fame and honored with a George H.W. Bush Points of Light Award, which recognizes service-driven individuals who have had an impact on their communities.

She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2015, and her life transformed from one of service to needing full-time care. The film shares the highs and lows associated with the care of a loved one with input from professionals in healthcare, education, research, financial services, senior living and other industries.

“The most important thing is people don’t realize how much of a toll it has on the person with it and the people around them,” said Oliver. “They call it the long goodbye for a reason.”

The film and project’s mission is to educate on the disease, share resources, and most critically, inspire hope.

“My biggest hope is that someone in a similar situation to myself also sees the film and relates to my personal experience,” said Oliver. “Then what I experienced will help them through theirs.”

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