A House Divided : Caregiver Stress and Elder Abuse

Jack Huggins is sixty-five years old. He doesn't take very good care of himself, but he lavishes attention on his menagerie of cats. He repairs and hoards electronic equipment he has picked from the garbage. When Jack did not comply with a Health Department order to clean up, he was forcefully removed from his home, certified incompetent, and the Public Trustee took charge of his affairs. Jack felt that he was being treated "like Mr. Nobody. Just Mr. Nobody out on the street." This film will provoke the discussion of legal and ethical dilemmas concerning the self-neglecting elderly. Do mentally competent elders have the right to neglect themselves? Does the state have an obligation to intervene?

Walk through almost any neighbourhood, and behind one of those front doors you'll find a family caregiver. The numbers are staggering. Over 25 million North Americans are currently looking after elderly relatives with health problems. Shot over an entire year, Labour of Love shows the human side of caregiving - the loving bonds, the frustrations and heartaches, the mundane tasks and the constant fatigue. Labour of Love includes five intimate profiles of caregivers and their families. This special video takes us to the heart of what it means to be a caregiver, offering hope for everyone who is caring for a family member.

"The photographs will open doors, will open people's eyes and will hopefully open people's hearts." Dr. Mark Nowaczynski "Who in the world would want to see a bunch of pictures of me? Junk," says Connie Chapman, 93, who has a heart condition and lives alone with her cat Oscar, who she calls "my boyfriend." At 86, Joe is tough, lively and profane, but since his legs gave out, his horizon doesn't stretch much past his front porch. Ria, 90, calls herself a "stubborn mule" and doesn't want anyone feeling sorry for her. Her cobweb-filled home is a testament to the simpler past she longs for. All three are patients of Mark Nowaczynski, a physician and photographer who started documenting the lives of many of his elderly clients. Determined to improve the quality of life for a generation that's already endured the Great Depression and World War II, "Dr. Mark" has been photographing his patients to raise awareness about the lack of home care in this growing segment of the population. The evocative black-and-white pictures reflect faces that convey fragility and vulnerability but also quiet strength and courage as these seniors struggle to live the rest of their lives with dignity.