Alzheimer's Disease (AD) And Dementia In The Movie 'Still Alice'

In this paper I will discuss the issue of stigma regarding Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia in older adults, which was depicted in the movie ‘Still Alice’. This theme became most prominent to me in the scene in which Alice wished that she had cancer instead of AD. Alice compared AD to cancer, expressing that the general public had created awareness to support those living and fighting cancer, while she felt there was little support for individuals with AD. Confronted with her illness and the stigma of AD, Alice demonstrates her struggle to find meaning and hope in her life. This inspired me to focus on the current stigma that exists about dementia and AD, and how it may be mitigated in my practice towards becoming a Registered Nurse (RN) in order to provide quality nursing care.
Stigma and Dementia Stigma is a behavior or reputation that can cause an individual or a group of people to feel undesirable and shameful (Alzheimer’s Disease International, 2012). Stigma about AD and dementia exists in the general public and in health care professionals (Blay, S., & Toledo, E., 2010). AD was previously seen as a burden to society and as a result, individuals with AD were concealed from the public eye and the discussion about the disease was not warranted (Alzheimer’s Disease International, 2012). Although

A common stigma with health care professionals is the stigma of hopelessness with dementia and that there is little to be done for someone living with dementia. As there is no existing medical cure for AD and dementia, current treatments focus on briefly improving the symptoms and supportive care for the individual and their family. The element of incurability becomes a focus for health care professionals