On November 17, 2008, at the age of 92, deHavilland received the National Medal of Arts, the highest honour conferred to an individual artist on behalf of the people of the United States. The medal was presented to her by President George W. Bush, who commended her "for her persuasive and compelling skill as an actress in roles from Shakespeare's Hermia to Margaret Mitchell's Melanie. Her independence, integrity, and grace won creative freedom for herself and her fellow film actors." The following year, deHavilland narrated the documentary "I Remember Better When I Paint" (2009), a film about the importance of art in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.