CINCINNATI, OH—As part of a campaign to raise awareness and improve public knowledge on treatment options, CNN aired an hour-long public service announcement on the warning signs of dementia Wednesday night.
The PSA, which ran over an hour, showed tragic footage of an old man ranting and making nonsensical, confusing statements.
CNN says they hope the footage will encourage family members of the elderly to get them tested for the early warning signs of dementia. The cable news channel displayed a phone number for a hotline people can call if they believe someone they know might be suffering from symptoms of the condition.
"If you or a loved one act like this man," said Don Lemon, "please, we beg you, get help. Slurred speech, inaccurate statements, an inability to remember where you are—these are all signs that your loved one might be suffering from dementia, whether he's retired or the president of the United States."
"... and we'd take the rhubarb and we'd put it in the pie, right in the ol' pie," the old man said suddenly, in a rare moment of lucidity. "It was incredible. You wouldn't think rhubarb would taste good, but it's the sweetness. The strawberries. The strawberries. The strawberries. That's what makes it work! Airplanes! Airplanes are neat, you know, but they're a myth. How do they get them up there? They don't—d-d-don't even have feathers."
Many of the attendees were touched by both the PSA and the old man.