LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 27, 2012) — This past August at the Kentucky State Fair, University of Kentucky theatre alumnus William H. McCann Jr. previewed a snippet of his new play about a family’s struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. Now, his “Boats Against the Current” will be presented in Lexington.
Commissioned by the UK Work Life /Elder Care Office, McCann’s original work was written in recognition of National Family Caregiver’s Month and National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. The script focuses on a Lexington family as they struggle to come to terms with a family member’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.
There will be two opportunities to attend a reading of the original play, followed by a question and answer session with Marie Smart, a family care specialist with UK Sanders Brown Center on Aging:
· Wednesday, Nov. 28, 12:10 to 12:50 p.m., Lunch & Learn at William T. Young Library. An excerpt from the play will be read. A resource table with information from local area agencies will be available. The event is free, but registrations are required at http://www.uky.edu/HR/ElderCare/BATC.html
· Sunday, Dec. 2, 4-6 p.m., at Temple Adath Israel, 124 N. Ashland Ave. in Lexington. A full dramatic reading will be followed by a Q & A session. This is a free event. Local community agencies will be available to share information. Registration is not required.
Alzheimer’s disease has a huge impact on our society, affecting more than 20 million people. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 5.4 million Americans — one in eight older Americans — are living with Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, 15 million Americans serve as unpaid caregivers for persons with Alzheimer’s and other dementias with a contributed value of $210 billion.
