by Dementia Alliance of NC Herlene Blunt is a remarkable woman from Harnett County who recently celebrated her 91st birthday. Herlene lives with dementia and her devoted daughter, Fatine Rainey, cares for her at home. Herlene is a devout fan of gospel music and court show TV. Recently, her cherished CD player broke leaving her without the…
by Dementia Alliance of NC At Dementia Alliance of NC, we know by the increasing number of requests for our services that the number of caregivers in North Carolina is rising rapidly. We are also seeing more requests from a younger and more diverse populations as increasing numbers of Gen Z and millennials like Porche…
Dementia Alliance of North Carolina’s Lina Mae Edwards Young Investigator Research Grant Announced! Dr. Giulia Fragola, Research Associate in Dr. Todd Cohen’s lab in the UNC Department of Neurology, has been awarded $100,000 for the 2022 Lina Mae Edwards Young Investigator Award by Dementia Alliance of North Carolina for her project entitled “Tau depletion via…
A Focus on Brain Health Research in the African American Community by Latorius Adams, MS, Social/Clinical Research Coordinator As we celebrate Black History Month, it is good to keep in mind a sobering statistic. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, African Americans are two to three times more likely than whites to develop dementia. They are…
Navigating My Mom’s Dementia By Felicia Coleman I’m a firm believer that anything you go through in life, good or bad, there is a lesson to be learned. It is either for our own elevation or to motivate and uplift someone else. I often contemplate how one such lesson presented itself, albeit devastating, it also…
Navigating a dementia diagnosis can bring families together if they work toward a common set of goals. Or it can create more stress than is already present if families are at odds with how care is provided. Remember, Mom or Dad put the family first for years, so the goal is to make THEM the…
Navigating Ambiguous Loss & Grief By Dementia Alliance of NC Your loved one is there. Your loved one is NOT there. They may be sitting right next to you, looking in your eyes, but they are no longer present in quite the same way as before. This roller coaster of absence and presence common to…
Support Group Leader Spotlight: Dale Krech and Pat Soler By Dale Krech Pat and I co-facilitate a twice-monthly support group for caregivers in the Sandhills area. Previously, in California, each of us had taken care of loved ones for about 10 years. Pat’s mother had elder dementia and lived with her and my wife was…
Preparing for Family Events by Dementia Alliance of NC Whether it’s a holiday, mother’s day, a wedding or graduation, small changes such as timing an event around your person’s best time of day or limiting the number of guests can make the experience better for everyone! Don’t get so involved in the plans you forget…
by Rosalind Scott This year Dementia Alliance of North Carolina highlighted two of its book club care partners in honor of Black History Month. Caregiving for someone can be overwhelming, no matter the care needed. However, statistics have proven that caring for an individual with a Dementia/Alzheimer’s diagnosis is twice as overwhelming and challenging. We…