Cautionary Doc ‘Silver Tsunami’ Warns of the Hidden Dangers of Aging

The declining rate of birth on our planet combined with an extreme increase in population of the elderly and our inaction to treat chronic diseases associated with old age signal a path of destruction some scientists are calling the “Silver Tsunami.” The worst case scenario is a world in which elders greatly outnumber young people and lead lives defined by suffering due to myriad debilitating diseases. Scientists have the means to cure many of these diseases, which would change the way medicine operates completely, but we’ve been financially neglecting these advances in research to the point where, in the long run, the treatment of patients suffering from diseases like Alzheimer’s could bankrupt the Medicare system completely and ruin the economy. If only we’d commit to financing research of a cure, we’d not only improve elderly livelihood, but save trillions of dollars in medical bills.

Bay Area filmmaker Cynthia Harrison’s short documentery Silver Tsunami outlines the hidden, long-term dangers of aging and the precautions we need to take as a people to improve quality of life as we get older. The film uses interviews with scientists and experts from Marin County’s Buck Institute for Research on Aging to provide a crucial look at a worldwide threat we’d be wise to address as soon as possible.

The short premieres at the Sonoma Film Festival on Sunday, March 29th at 4:30 PM at the Sonoma Valley Women’s Club. For more info, www.silvertsunamimovie.com