What do the Oscars and caregiving have in common? Quite a bit…read below for the articles about recent movies that have engaged our caregiving emotions and the Oscar winners who have been real-life caregivers.

 

Movies that teach us about caregiving

Still Alice – the movie that may spark the Alzheimer’s movement

1^st Annual Caregiving Goes to the Oscars (2012)

2^nd Annual Caregiving Goes to the Oscars (2013)

Amour – A Caregiving Movie Review

And the Oscar Goes to Caregivers

Oscar winners who are or have been real-life caregivers

Catherine Zeta-Jones won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance in 2002’s Chicago.  Here is our interview with her about dealing with her mental health issues while caregiving for another Oscar winner – her husband Michael Douglas who battled throat cancer.

Catherine Zeta Jones – a caregiver’s self-care mental health plan

Diane Keaton won her Best Actress Oscar for her performance in 1977’s Annie Hall, playing the title character. In real life Keaton was a sandwich generation caregiver – caring for a mother with dementia while raising two children.

Diane Keaton – Sandwich Generation caregiver

When Glen Campbell was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2011 his family including his wife Kim and daughter Ashley did not know what was in store for them as his future caregivers but as a family they made one last farewell tour with the music legend.  Nominated for best song at this year’s Oscars for “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” the Rhinestone Cowboy’s story still touches our hearts.

Glen Campbell’s Farewell Tour

While Glenn Close has not yet won an Oscar, she has been nominated six times including for 1988’s Fatal Attraction playing a woman who had mental instability. The role hits close to home as Glenn has played real life caregiver to her sister who has mental illness.

Glenn Close wants to change your mind about mental illness

Jodie Foster has won two Oscars – one for The Accused and the other for Silence of the Lambs. But it wasn’t until she was honored with a lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes in 2013 that we learned she was also a sandwich generation caregiver for her mom with dementia.

Jodie Foster – Golden Girl Shines a Spotlight on Her Sandwich Generation Role

Reese Witherspoon won an Oscar for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in Walk the Line. But it was running not walking that brought Witherspoon face to face with a big caregiver dilemma – an older driver who had lost control of the vehicle. Read Witherspoon’s understanding story of the incident:

Reese Witherspoon Forgives Senior Driver in Recent Accident