PUBLIC BROADCASTING SYSTEM PRESENTATIONS:

• "Almost Home"(2005):

• Synopsis:"Almost Home is a feature-length documentary that follows the daily lives of residents and staff at Saint John’s On The Lake, a retirement community in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Through a memorable cast of characters, candid interviews and true-life drama, Almost Home presents real stories of aging — frightening, tender, funny, surprising and honest.

• "And Thou Shalt Honor" (2005):

• Synopsis: Presented in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Older Americans Act in 1965, this documentary focuses on the plight of America’s family caregivers. Interviews with Washington lawmakers press for answers on issues that have daily impact on family caregivers & their loved ones, including: Medicaid & Medicare reform, universal healthcare, long-term care insurance, direct pay-to-family caregivers, & tax incentives to prepare the nation for longevity.

• "Before I Die: Medical and Personal Choices" (1997):

• Synopsis: "The program explores the medical, ethical, and social issues surrounding end-of-life care in America today. This Web companion piece features original reporting (real life stories & sidebars)."
• Resources: The online resources, list of articles, and bibliography of books found here all appear current only to 1997; however, they remains useful.
  

• "[A] Death in the Family":

• Synopsis: A Masterpiece Theatre (American Collection) adaptation of James Agee's Pulitzer Prize-winning classic about a man's death and its impact on his family. Set in 1915, the film recreates Agee's small, painstakingly-drawn world of domestic happiness and shows how quickly it can be destroyed.

• "[A] Family Undertaking" (2004):

• Synopsis: "Elizabeth Westrate's "A Family Undertaking" uncovers a growing social trend: the home funeral movement. More often, Americans are choosing to do it themselves when it comes to burying loved ones and easing their own grief. Far from being a radical innovation, however, keeping funeral rites in the family or among friends is exactly how death was handled for most of pre-twentieth century America."

• "Health Care Crisis: Who's At Risk?" (2000):

• Synopsis: A documentary examing issues determining where the U. S. healthcare system was headed into the future, from the perspectives of patients, professionals, & voters.
• Resources: Interviews, a transcript, & student workbooks, among other materials.
  

• "On Our Own Terms: Moyers on Dying" (2000):

  • Resources:
  • End-of-Life Tools
  • Hospice & Other Care Options for the Dying
  • Final Days -- The Dying Experience
  • Cope with Grief & Seek Solace through Spirituality & the Arts

• "Whose Death Is It Anyway?" (to be broadcast Spring, 2007):

• Synopsis: "Whose Death Is It Anyway? emphasizes the importance of personal involvement in decisions about one's care at the end of life. Highlighting the types of treatment many people receive, it realistically explores the difficulties surrounding end-of-life decision making through five documentary segments that feature families sharing their own discussions and experiences."
• Resources: The Program offers web resources & examines: Patients' Legal Rights; Family Conflicts About End-of-Life Decisions; Advance Directives; Palliative (Comfort) Care; & Dying at Home, in Hospital, or with Hospice Care.

• "With Eyes Open"(2000):

• Synopsis: Produced by KQED television in San Francisco and aired throughout the country in September 2000 as a companion to "On Our Own Terms." The four programs discuss caregiving, grief, difficult decisions and what may lie beyond death.