Gena Rowlands who played in The Notebook has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's

[Simone411]

Gena Rowlands has Alzheimer's, her son Nick Cassavetes says

Celebrated actor and honorary Academy Award recipient Gena Rowlands is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, says her son, the filmmaker Nick Cassavetes

abcnews.go.com

Rowlands, who received an honorary Oscar in 2015, made 10 films with her husband, John Cassavetes, including 1974's “A Woman Under the Influence” and 1980's “Gloria.” She was Oscar nominated for both performances. She also won four Emmy awards. Her last credited performance was the 2014 comedy “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks.”

Rowlands's mother, actor Lady Rowlands, also had Alzheimer's. During the making of “The Notebook,” Gena Rowlands said she channeled her mother.

“I went through that with my mother, and if Nick hadn’t directed the film, I don’t think I would have gone for it — it’s just too hard,” Rowlands told O magazine in 2004. “It was a tough but wonderful movie.”

It's so ironic, and I knew that Alzheimer's was hereditary. My stepmom's mom passed away from Alzheimer's at age 86. My stepmom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's when she was 67 years old. It progressed so fast, and she passed away three years later at age 70.

I love the movie, The Notebook. I never knew that her mom had Alzheimer's until I read this article. Keeping Gena in my prayers.

 

[Aussie Willy]

It is a horrible disease. My dad has it. Was diagnosed over 4 years ago aged 76 and he is now 80. Thankfully I did an Understanding Dementia course offered for free by our local university around the time of his diagnosis which was the best thing with understanding his condition and how to manage it.

I was watching the Gene Wilder documentary which is on Netflix the other night. He also had it. Worth watching.

 

[Simone411]

It is a horrible disease. My dad has it. Was diagnosed over 4 years ago aged 76 and he is now 80. Thankfully I did an Understanding Dementia course offered for free by our local university around the time of his diagnosis which was the best thing with understanding his condition and how to manage it.

I was watching the Gene Wilder documentary which is on Netflix the other night. He also had it. Worth watching.

I'm so glad you took that course because I know it can be really hard at times to see a parent that way. It was really hard for me with my stepmom. Sometimes she would go blank in the middle of what she was saying. I would always sort of bring up the subject again as if I was just beginning to have the conversation with her. It really worked, and she wasn't embarrassed that way. This was in the beginning when she first got Alzheimer's.

I didn't realize Gene Wilder also had it. I'll keep you and your dad in my prayers because I know how tough it can be.

 

[Japanfan]

Loved Gena Rowlands. She was brilliant in 'A Woman Under the Influence'.

 

[Simone411]

Loved Gena Rowlands. She was brilliant in 'A Woman Under the Influence'.

I loved that movie, and she was brilliant. I found the original movie trailer on YouTube.

A Woman Under the Influence (1974) Original Trailer [HD]

Directed by John Cassavetes. Starring Gena Rowlands, Peter Falk and Fred Draper.Blu-ray (Amazon) https://amzn.to/3OXNTDKBlu-ray (Criterion) https://www.crite...

www.youtube.com

 

[Aussie Willy]

I'm so glad you took that course because I know it can be really hard at times to see a parent that way. It was really hard for me with my stepmom. Sometimes she would go blank in the middle of what she was saying. I would always sort of bring up the subject again as if I was just beginning to have the conversation with her. It really worked, and she wasn't embarrassed that way. This was in the beginning when she first got Alzheimer's.

I didn't realize Gene Wilder also had it. I'll keep you and your dad in my prayers because I know how tough it can be.

Thank you.

The worst was last year when he had real behavioural problems. Was aggressive and lashing out at staff and other residents at the nursing home. He literally got kicked out of his nursing home because they could not manage him as it was a small country nursing home. Subsequently he spent a few months in hospital. He was then able to get into a special program which meant he got a specialist placement where they could focus on how to treat him. With the medications he is on he has been pretty good and behaving himself. Put it this way - no news is good news.

 

[Simone411]

Thank you.

The worst was last year when he had real behavioural problems. Was aggressive and lashing out at staff and other residents at the nursing home. He literally got kicked out of his nursing home because they could not manage him as it was a small country nursing home. Subsequently he spent a few months in hospital. He was then able to get into a special program which meant he got a specialist placement where they could focus on how to treat him. With the medications he is on he has been pretty good and behaving himself. Put it this way - no news is good news.

You just reminded me of something that happened while I was at the nursing facility in my hometown. I had to stay from March of 2022 until June of 2022. I had a roommate that had dementia. It was only temporary, and the administrator thought it might be a good idea since I had experienced Alzheimer's regarding my stepmom.

She wasn't supposed to get up and stand, and instead, they wanted for her to use her wheelchair. One night, she became really confused and thought she was at her home. She asked me why I was in her bedroom. I tried to explain to her that she was in a nursing facility.

Finally, a CNA came and was tending to her. She started yelling and said that the CNA was trying to hurt her. The CNA wasn't trying to hurt her and tried to explain that to her. She began yelling even louder wanting us to leave her bedroom. A nurse finally showed up. The nurse had to put her in the wheelchair and wheeled her down to the nurse's station.

She then began yelling again screaming for help. She thought she had been put in jail. Come to find out, she didn't take her meds. My nurse told me that she acted like she took them and even drank some water. She took those pills out of her mouth and hid them under her pillow. The nurse watched her and made her take her meds. She was okay after she took the meds, but they had to watch her every time after that to make sure she took her meds.

 

[Vash01]

I really liked the movie 'Notebook'. Sorry that Gena Rollands has Alzheimer's, like the character she played. From what I have heard, this is an extremely difficult illness for the patients and their families. So they all get my sympathies.

 

[vgerdes]

I remember my first direct experience with Alzheimer's when I was a young reporter. I was interviewing an elderly lady in her home and she got up to get a glass of water, felt dizzy and fell down. I helped her up, and suddenly she had no idea who I was or why I was in her home. There was no one else around. I didn't know what to do. I thought my presence was more unsettling than comforting, so I made sure she was resting comfortably, then just left quietly. A few minutes later I called someone to go check on her. She was fine, but it was terrifying for a 20-something who'd never really known anyone with Alzheimer's before.