Drama at Touhill Nov. 3 is aimed at making blacks take disease seriously
Lynn Beckwith Sr. knows how devastating Alzheimer’s disease can be. A distinguished gentleman of 83, he cared for his wife Myrtis for seven years as she suffered from and finally succumbed to the disease.
“I knew there was a problem when she began having problems with simple, everyday activities like housekeeping and cooking,” Beckwith said.
“She was always a very neat dresser but she began to wear the same clothing over and over. We’d go to the same restaurant every week for Sunday dinner for years, but eventually she couldn’t find her way there.”
Studies show that African Americans are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s as the rest of the population. And while early detection and diagnosis is key to more effective treatments, African Americans tend to be diagnosed at a later stage of the disease. Beckwith believes this is due to unwillingness among the family to admit a problem exists.
“There is generally only one caretaker living with the person. A person in the early stages of Alzheimer’s is good at masking their problems for a long period. That’s why they call it ‘the long goodbye,’” Beckwith said.
‘The other family members don’t see the daily problems, and if the caretaker says anything, the other family members might have a form of denial: ‘No, that’s just Mom being Mom.’”
Luckily, Beckwith’s adult children were all supportive and active in the care of their mother as well as in finding assistance outside of the family. But others aren’t as fortunate. There is a tendency among the African-American community to try to keep the problem within the family.
“That’s why the Alzheimer’s Association is so important,” Beckwith said. “It provides support and options to assist the caretaker. But not enough people in the community realize these programs exist.”
It’s for this reason that, in honor of November’s being National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, a free dramatic reading of For Pete’s Sake, a new play about Alzheimer’s disease, will be performed by actors of the St. Louis Black Repertory Company at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
The play tells the story of a recently retired postal worker named Pete who has a passion for Scrabble, yet is facing the reality of his memory loss. At first Pete’s wife, Anna, is too embarrassed to ask for help, but when Pete becomes unmanageable, she is left with no choice but to seek assistance.
“Our hope is that a presentation like For Pete’s Sake will allow an awareness of Alzheimer’s disease to spread to areas where historically it has not been present,” said Stephanie Rohlfs-Young, outreach director for the St. Louis chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.
She said increased awareness is vital because it allows for early detection, which is necessary for most of today’s Alzheimer’s treatments to be effective. Beckwith’s daughter, Dr. Peggy Taylor, agreed.
“As a medical professional, too often I see people from the African-American community bringing in their loved ones for diagnosis when they’ve already reached the middle stage of the disease,” Dr. Taylor said.
“Aricept (a drug to treat early stage Alzheimer’s patients) has been found to be more efficacious in African Americans in slowing the progress of the disease, but only if it’s administered in the early stages.”
Beckwith and his children agree with the play’s themes of seeking support from both within and outside the family.
“Keep them involved with the family and their friends,” said son Lynn Beckwith Jr. “That is important. Also, give them activities to help keep them active mentally.”
Daughter Eunice Beckwith said, “Family support can help the person caring for the individual to survive, especially when partnered with programs available from resources such as the Alzheimer’s Association.”
For Pete’s Sake will be performed at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center at UMSL on Thursday, Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. Coffee and dessert will be served during a meet-and-greet with the playwright DaNine K. Ward. Admission is free but reservations are recommended. Call (800) 980-9080 or visit http://alzheimer.wustl.edu/play