“Caring for Your Parents” on PBS – Don’t Miss It

On Wednesday April 2, at 8 p.m. CT (9 p.m.ET), the PBS station in your area will premiere "Caring for Your Parents," a 90-minute documentary featuring five families and their caregiving experiences. These caregiving stories underscore the struggles of today's families to keep their parents at home, the many tensions among siblings and the complex and continually shifting roles caregivers must play in their families.

Following the documentary, which was written, produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker Michael Kirk, Dr. Art Ulene will lead "A Conversation About Caring." This is a half-hour panel discussion that will offer advice and guidance from experts.

The panel includes AARP Publications editor-in-chief and co-author of Caring for your Parents: The Complete AARP Guide, Hugh Delehanty; Newsweek columnist Jane Bryant Quinn; best-selling author of Passages, Gail Sheehy; well-known physician Dr. Cora Christiansen and leading eldercare expert (think Green House Project) Dr. Bill Thomas. A list of local eldercare resources, and more information about caregiving, is available at www.pbs.org/caringforourparents.

There's also a review site of submitted viewer videos that you can watch at

http://lab.wgbh.org/open-call/watch-over-me/community-review (full disclosure - I was asked to submit one and did so, but there are several very touching and professionally done family videos featuring different types of elder care, so you may want to give it a look).

This show will be available online after the premiere, so if you can't make the time, check the website afterward. I'm sure PBS stations will re-run the show, as well. So check out the site, keep tabs on what's happening, and try to fit a viewing into your schedule. They've made it as easy as possible to do so.

For more information about Carol go to www.mindingourelders.com or www.mindingoureldersblogs.com.