The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer's Alzheimer's disease touches nearly every American family, wiping away vast stores of personal memories and human connections. This two-hour special, based on the best-selling book by author David Shenk, is aimed at helping Americans better understand and cope with this fearsome disease. The centerpiece is a 90-minute documentary: the first television program to tackle the entire spectrum of the Alzheimer's epidemic - the firsthand tragedy, the rising numbers, humankind's age-old fascination with dementia and the worldwide effort to find a cure. Three victims and their families bring viewers up close to the intense, real-world experience of Alzheimer's disease. An informative half-hour program, hosted by David Hyde Pierce, star of NBC's "Frasier," follows the documentary and leads viewers to local and national experts and resources. When's it on? Visit the Site If you've had personal experience with someone suffering from Alzheimer's, how did you react initially? What has been your behavior since then? The documentary mentions the human fascination with dementia. Why do you think it's a subject of interest for many people? How worried are you about getting Alzheimer's? What are your feelings about the ability of scientists to find a cure for Alzheimer's? If you were diagnosed today with Alzheimer's, what's the first thing you would do? How much responsibility do you think people should take to try to prevent disease themselves? What do you think should be the role of the state and federal governments as the incidence of Alzheimer's increases? Ideally, how do you think Alzheimer's patients should be cared for? What do you think people should tell young children about their Alzheimer's-stricken loved ones? Would you be willing to let cameras record your ailing loved one? Why or why not? Former President Ronald Reagan's struggle with Alzheimer's has often been publicized since his diagnosis in 1994 because he believes that open disclosures raise public awareness. Do you think it's important for public figures to reveal their illnesses or debilities for this reason?
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