BALTIMORE — One in 10 older Americans have some form of dementia, and Baltimore and the state have the highest percentages of Alzheimer’s dementia. A Baltimore native has produced a documentary about individuals and families like his who are dealing with dementia, and it’s debuting in Baltimore on Saturday.
Atlanta filmmaker and author C. Nathaniel Brown is the executive producer of “Remember Me: Dementia in the African American Community,” and a companion book, “Exposing Dementia: 8 Critical Takeaways for African Americans.”
The documentary features the stories of caregivers and actual patients who have been diagnosed with dementia, including Brown’s own family and Academy Award-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr.
“Not only is Baltimore home and where my family lives, the city is being hit harder than any other city in the country,” Brown said in a statement. “With multiple family members currently living with dementia, I felt it was my obligation to learn more about dementia to help my family and my community.”
The documentary will premiere at a screening at 1 p.m. at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, 400 Cathedral Street in downtown Baltimore. After the screening, a Q&A session will be held with Brown and other members of the film.
Representatives from the Baltimore City Health Department, the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, and the Alzheimer's Association Greater Maryland Chapter will offer resources for attendees. Free tickets to the event may be reservedhere.
Dementia is an overall term used for memory loss and difficulties with other thinking skills caused by degenerative changes to the brain. Alzheimer’s disease is just one form of dementia, and Alzheimer’s dementia results from changes to the brain that drastically affect basic functions such as walking, talking, and eating.
Baltimore City is the number two area in the country with the highest number of people with Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Nearby Prince George’s County is number four. And in Maryland, 12.9 percent of the population of people age 65 and older have Alzheimer’s, according to the most recent data available. That’s the highest population percentage of any state in the country.