Chapter One of The Genius of Caring.

The Genius of Caring is a robust community engagement campaign and public art project that grew out of the documentary film, The Genius of Marian. The campaign is comprised of a series of short educational films, an innovative online story-sharing project and an educational curriculum for students. The Genius of Caring programs and materials will provide people the opportunity to learn from and participate in important conversations about caregiving and Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s is often a long and isolating disease process. And for the more than 15 million caregivers who support loved ones with the disease, the isolation can be debilitating. The Genius of Caring is designed to support caregivers and to provide students, healthcare professionals and others with a glimpse into the caregiving experience.

If you would like to support the Genius of Caring by making a tax-deductible donation, click here.

OUR OBJECTIVES

• Catalyze meaningful conversations about Alzheimer’s and caregiving within families, caregiving teams and communities.
• Promote interpersonal connection and a deepened understanding of caregiving and Alzheimer’s through arts and storytelling.
• Broaden the understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and family caregiving outside a clinical context for medical students, healthcare professionals and other service providers.

CAMPAIGN ELEMENTS

Short Films: The filmmaking team from The Genius of Marian is producing a series of short films, both information-rich educational shorts and  story-driven, documentary portraits of individual caregivers. The shorts, which range in length from 5-8 minutes, address often-unexplored themes related to Alzheimer’s dementia and caregiving while maintaining the feature film’s aesthetic and story-driven approach. Once complete, the films will be made available for free online and will be distributed widely through our partnerships with the Alzheimer’s Association, PBS online, the Sundance Institute and the Tribeca Film Institute, among others.

Story Sharing Project: The Genius of Caring story-sharing project captures the complex emotional experience of caring for loved ones and offers visitors a place to share stories and connect with others. Visitors to the website can navigate curated media and user generated stories that address important themes within and stages of the disease process. Visitors will also be invited to share their own experiences and to learn from and connect with others. As the project grows, thousands of diverse stories will come together to create a portrait of a community connected through compassion.

Educational Curriculum: The Genius of Caring will incorporate educational curricula for high school, college and medical school students and a discussion guide geared toward healthcare professionals and other service providers. These educational materials will help students and professionals broaden their understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and family caregiving outside a clinical context.

Ed and Pam White at Home in Dedham

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

If you’d like to support The Genius of Caring, you can make a tax-deductible donation to the project HERE.

WE NEED YOUR INPUT: If you have Alzheimer’s, are a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer’s and feel you have a unique perspective that could help others, please reach out and share your story with us. If you are a professional caregiver, MD, or professor and are interested in contributing your knowledge and experience we are currently crafting our educational material and would love to hear from you. Please connect with us HERE