For her donation recipient, Nicole chose Dementia Society of America in honor of her mother, Molly, who died this past year.
“It was ten years ago on a visit to Massachusetts where I had that startling moment that many people have with an aging parent; when you know they’re in that final stretch of life. We watched as dementia chipped away at her slowly but surely. She literally and figuratively got smaller; there was a physical body there but the light inside had dimmed. That’s a long time to watch that happen. My siblings and I were lucky that my mom had a loving and dedicated companion to care for her, but I see the toll it has taken on him.”
As the nation’s leading volunteer-driven all-dementias awareness organization, Dementia Society of America provides care for the caregiver as well as the loved one living with the condition. They sponsor an information hotline (1-800-DEMENTIA®), many online resources, and an easy-to-use, web-based locator, which can help families and individuals find valuable support near to them. Through their comprehensive programs, Dementia Society of America underwrites non-medical activities focused on: music and singing; dance and movement; the visual arts, touch, and sensory stimulation. Other programs provide recognition to those who serve the dementia community through meaningful care, innovation and research. The need is ever growing. By the year 2060, it is projected that 13.9 million people (approximately 3.3% of the population) will be dealing with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
Nicole says, “Shelly’s mom also died due to complications from Alzheimer’s. As our population ages, so many people are or will find themselves caring for someone with a form of dementia. For various reasons, we didn’t have a funeral for my mother. This donation is a small way for me to acknowledge her passing.”