In this lesson, students delve into the role of family members acting as caregivers for those who are ill, elderly, disabled or otherwise not able to care for themselves regularly and efficiently. Students examine what family caregivers do, what their unique qualities are and how they cope with the challenges caregiving presents. Students determine the type of support system caregiving family members need in order to take care of others and themselves.

The video clips provided with this lesson are from The Genius of Marian, a rich and emotionally complex story about one family's struggle to come to terms with Alzheimer's disease. After Pam White is diagnosed at age 61 with early-onset Alzheimer's, life begins to change, slowly but irrevocably, for Pam and everyone around her. Her husband grapples with his role as it evolves from primary partner to primary caregiver. Pam's adult children find ways to show their love and support while mourning the gradual loss of their mother. Her eldest son, Banker, records their conversations, allowing Pam to share memories of childhood and of her mother, the renowned painter Marian Williams Steele, who had Alzheimer's herself and died in 2001.

For additional information and educational resources on Alzheimer's disease and the caregiving involved, visit the PBS site for the documentary The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer's.

POV offers a lending library of DVDs that you can borrow anytime during the school year — FOR FREE! Get started by joining our Community Network.