Tommy and Linda
RUNTIME 24 min 26 sec
When Linda Rhodes' husband, Tommy, started showing symptoms of dementia in his mid-60s, Linda decided she would do everything she could to keep him at home. Now in an advanced stage, the disease has left him unable to recognize family members and even his wife at times. Linda says she takes life one day at a time, not wanting to look back at the life they had or at the future. The present is a constant struggle to balance her full-time job and Tommy's care. "I'm his wife, and he's happiest here with me," Linda says. Watch the video

Low-cost Lifeline
RUNTIME 3 min 41 sec
Many experts on aging maintain that there are low-cost ways to help seniors stay in their homes. One of those is the Meals-on-Wheels program, funded by the Local Office on Aging, which provides meals to over 600 people in the Roanoke Valley 5 days a week. Not only do recipients benefit from a healthy, daily hot meal, but for many, the volunteer who knocks on the door each day is the only person they see at all. Watch the video

Stolen Years
RUNTIME 5 min 57 sec
The Rev. Bill Wingfield and his wife, Kathy, moved to the Roanoke Valley in 1994 to retire. He bought a home in Salem and was midway between his children in Nelson County and Asheville, N.C. What he didn't realize was that he would eventually become a full-time caregiver for his wife, who is in the advanced stages of dementia. Bill is angry at the disease for what it has stolen from his wife and their marriage. Roanoke's over-85 population is expected to double by 2030; it is estimated that over 13,000 people in the region will suffer from dementia by then. Watch the video

The Cost of Independence
RUNTIME 5 min 47 sec
For many senior citizens, staying at home as they age is a primary goal. Those who have long-term health insurance or sufficient savings generally don't have a problem finding in-home personal care, but for those without financial resources things are more difficult. There is only one agency in the Roanoke Valley that provides in-home care on a sliding fee scale. While a few of those needing personal care at home can get it at reduced cost, many people are forced onto waiting lists while their condition worsens. Watch the video

Warrior for the Elderly
RUNTIME 4 min 6 sec
While Dr. Michael Camardi serves elderly patients as a geriatrician at Carilion's Center for Healthy Aging and Springtree Health Care Center's nursing home, he also crusades to recruit more medical students into the field of geriatrics. Such specialists are expected to be in short supply as American baby boomers age. Watch the video

House-call Ministry
RUNTIME 4 min 21 sec
Faith motivates a doctor to treat homebound patients in need. Dr. Alice Inouye is as concerned with her patients' spiritual health as she is with blood pressure, breathing and heartbeat.
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I Gave Everything I Had'
RUNTIME 8 min 13 sec
A rural wife pushes herself to the limit to help her husband recover from an aneurysm.
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