Letter: Issues of aging need full attention

Art imitates life and vice versa, and powerful drama often provides a commentary about issues in our society that help to expose the secret underbelly of painful issues that remain private far too long.

"The Waverly Gallery" is a perfect example. Ms. Lucas stated that the individual performances were good, but "at times its heavy subject matter overshadowed any positive aspects of the production ..." She suggested that more moments of levity were necessary. As she said, the play "... may leave you feeling, at the very least, a bit numb -- if not downright depressed -- about the possibilities of aging."

Aging is not a possibility; it is a certainty -- for all of us. We need to recognize that dementia exists, that we must shed light on the issues, and that this retirement community needs to acknowledge the needs of these families right here, right now.

I applaud Lean Ensemble for bringing Kenneth Lonergan's play to our community. We should recognize that one in eight baby boomers is expected to develop Alzheimer's disease. This "silver tsunami" will soon be a health care crisis.

The play presented a slice of reality, and it was brilliantly done, despite the fact that it is a topic most of us would prefer to ignore. It pulled back the curtain to give the public a peek of this reality and to hopefully inspire discussion and action.

Edwina Hoyle

executive director

Memory Matters

This story was originally published February 5, 2016 at 4:04 PM with the headline "Letter: Issues of aging need full attention."