Grandfather

“My Grandfather’s Keeper” documents the sacrifices of senior spouses unprepared for caretaking. My grandmother’s experience provides an account of how a wife became a nurse.

According to the Alzheimer's Association, in 2015 more than 15 million caregivers provided unpaid assistance. One third of these caregivers were women age 65 or older. “My Grandfather’s Keeper” documents the psychological toll taken on family members who were not prepared for this fate - like elderly wives. Through my grandmother’s experience caring for her husband and his Alzheimer’s and dementia, this story is an intimate account of how a wife becomes a nurse and the reality of growing old as her partner of 57 years forgets who she is.

Using still photographs, Polaroids, archived family photos, and journal entries, this project will allow the viewer a glimpse into my grandmother’s day-to-day experience during the progression of her husband’s disease. “My Grandfather’s Keeper” represents a collaborative effort between myself and my grandparents and will include their own photographs and journal entries. The story will communicate the daily stress of caretaking and the sacrifice it demands. This will be paired with an intimate personal viewpoint of the subjects through their own vision and voice.

“My Grandfather’s Keeper” will be published as a book, a short multimedia film using audio from Luisa and Ramiro Durao intended for distribution, and an online interactive piece where extended family and friends will be able to share responses. The Alzheimer's Association reports that 60% of caregivers are under high or very high stress, 40% suffer from depression, and 74% report they are concerned about maintaining their own health since becoming a caregiver. The goal is to convey the emotional impact caretakers endure in their own senior age.