Submitted by Pierce County.
Caregivers give it their all – blood, sweat and tears. What started out as helping around the house can easily become a full-time job. Caring can bring up a mix of emotions, especially if you’re providing around the clock care. One day you may feel immense satisfaction and pleasure, and the next, occasional resentment and depression. Everybody experiences caregiving differently.
Pierce County Aging & Disability Resources is presenting the next film in our caregiving series. “Happy Tears” is the story of two sisters who lead very different lives and return home to care for their aging father. Caregivers will be able to identify with many scenes in the film. “Happy Tears” shows how caregiving can create tension between siblings, while at the same time drawing them closer together. It also reflects how seniors may minimize the need for care, reject offers of assistance and hold onto significant memories. The audience will have moments of laughter as well as moments of tears.
The film will be shown on Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Grand Cinema, located at 606 S. Fawcett Avenue in Tacoma. The film begins at 10:45 a.m. with doors opening at 10:30 a.m. Complimentary popcorn will be provided by Cascade Park Communities. The film is free, but tickets must be reserved online through Brown Paper Tickets or by calling the Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) at 253-798-4600.
“Family caregiving is truly the backbone of our health care system in the United States,” said Aaron Van Valkenburg Pierce County Aging and Disability Resources manager. “Caregivers make enormous sacrifices to help loved ones – from doing light housekeeping, meal preparation and medication management, to stepping away from work for weeks, months, or even years. As this film shows, the work that caregivers do is amazing.”
Pierce County Aging & Disability Resources offers this film as part of our Family Caregiver Support Program. This program helps unpaid family caregivers with a variety of supports including education, counseling, adaptive equipment, housework and errands services and respite care. For more information or to reserve your tickets, call the Pierce County Aging & Disability Resource Center at 253-798-4600.