NASW Helps Promote PBS Film on Caregiving

The film shows both sides of caregiving — the positives and the negatives.

By Lyn Stoesen, News Staff

NASW has signed on as an "outreach partner" for a television documentary about caregiving for elderly and disabled people.

"And Thou Shalt Honor: Caring for Our Aging Parents, Spouses and Friends" will air on PBS stations around the country on Oct. 9. As an outreach partner, NASW will help promote the program and will work to raise the visibility of caregiving issues in America.

NASW chapters and members are encouraged to sponsor programs and join in community coalitions around the country in coordination with the documentary.

"Caregiving has become an important policy issue," said Lisa Yagoda, NASW senior staff associate for aging. "Our society's landscape is changing. Baby boomers are aging, and people are living longer, many with chronic illnesses."

"And Thou Shalt Honor" is a two-hour film featuring the stories of families in every stage of caregiving. Produced by Harry Wiland and Dale Bell, the film is narrated by actor Joe Mantegna and offers intimate portrayals of both caregivers and care recipients, in addition to the voices of experts and professionals. It also addresses the impact of the shortage of professional caregivers.

"Social workers can potentially see caregivers in all sorts of settings," Yagoda said. "This film teaches us to recognize what a caregiver is. In addition, caregivers may come into [social work] settings with a variety of presenting problems, such as depression, due to caregiver burnout and health and financial challenges."

Yagoda also noted that social workers are a "perfect match" for working with caregivers. "Social work looks at all of the aspects of caregiving — the psychological, financial, and medical, as well as the need for concrete services."

The film's producers received numerous grants and other funding for a publicity campaign to promote the documentary and encourage discussion and programming about caregiving concerns. The outreach partner program is part of that work.

The purpose of the outreach program is to "promote awareness about [caregiving and caregivers], promote awareness of the needs of caregivers and promote discussion of the importance of the issue before it becomes a national crisis," according to press materials. The outreach program is part of a plan to "stimulate action to address the needs of family caregivers."

"What's great about this film," Yagoda said, "is that it shows both sides" of caregiving — the positives and the negatives. "Social workers know how to promote strengths instead of just looking at deficits, and this film parallels that element of social work."

The program's board of advisers includes Rose Dobrof, a nationally recognized expert in the field of aging and the recipient of NASW's Knee/Wittman Outstanding Achievement Award in Health and Mental Health Policy.

The documentary's Web site, www.thoushalthonor.org, includes links to outreach partners and caregiving resources, as well as other details about the program. An "Action Guide for Community Caregivers," available through the Web site, offers information on forming coalitions to promote discussion and action on issues affecting family caregivers. The guide also includes resources, advice on how to establish a "caregiver corps" and tips for dealing with the media.