Being Involved in the Fight to End Alzheimer's

A.I. image from Adobe Stock

One of the hardest things you'll ever have to do is grieve the loss of someone who's still alive.
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by Skip Cohen

For years, I've written about the importance of being involved in your community. After all, you're looking for your community to be good to you, so you need to make sure you're returning the love! My point on involvement has always been focused on its importance from a marketing perspective. But today's post is about being involved as a benefit to your heart and that feeling when you're hoping to make a difference.

My mother died of Alzheimer's, as well as my grandmother, great grandmother, and one great uncle. It's in my family, and it scared me so much that I went to see one of Sarasota's most respected neurologists, Dr. Mauricio Concha. He put me through all the tests, and the intermittent forgetfulness I was worried about was normal aging. In short, going into the kitchen and forgetting why isn't Alzheimer's - going into the kitchen and not knowing what the kitchen is used for is Alzheimer's!

Yesterday, Sheila and I attended the Alzheimer's Walk here in Sarasota. The turnout was terrific, and the attendees' sense of hope, focus, and dedication was amazing. To date, there is no cure for the disease, but the spirit in the air added so much fuel to the fight! Plus, everyone there had a connection to grieving a friend or family member's fight with Alzheimer's.​

Checking in with Google, I found the following: In 2023, an estimated 6.7 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease...10.8% of people aged 65 and older have Alzheimer's, 5.0% aged 65 to 74, 13.1% aged 75 to 84 and 33.3% aged 85 and older. Click here for the complete A.I. overview.

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Here are excerpts from an announcement made by Dr. Concha a few months ago:

...The concept for the Memory Care Alliance is based on my vision to offer maximum support for Alzheimer’s patients and especially their families and caregivers. Most of you already know my passion for doing everything I can to put an end to this horrible disease.
 
My challenge is time to build the Alliance, but with all of your help we’re going to set a standard of support that currently doesn’t exist anywhere in the area. To that goal, meet Skip Cohen...Skip has volunteered to join the team to manage the Memory Care Alliance and help us move to the next level of support. His involvement will include being a contact point for both the public and support companies involved in the various areas defined previously in what we hope to offer....Skip’s going to hit the ground running and will be contacting each member of the Memory Care Alliance to learn how we can maximize our effectiveness and grow the concept.
 
Welcome aboard Skip.

Here's my point...

Being involved in something that fills your heart, while cause-related marketing benefits your business, this is about your soul. Sheila and I don't have the skill set to be on the technical side of finding a cure. But, we sure can help pave the way for awareness and support to help ease the challenges other families are facing in coping with the heartbreak of this terrible disease.

Those of you who know me well realized long ago that I'd never fully retire. Even though my bones creak for ten minutes when I wake up in the morning, I'm not ready to slow down! I'm not changing my role in imaging—I love photography too much—but I do want to make room to find more ways to help in the fight against Alzheimer's.

Yesterday, at the Alzheimer's Walk, April McNamara posted images from the event, including the picture of me and Sheila. But this one on the right was one of my favorites.

Wishing everybody an outstanding day ahead. Take the time for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs I always write about with the people you're closest to. If you're not involved in a cause that makes your heart soar, it's time to kick back and consider all the possibilities. There are so many challenges in this world that need help and support...and together we can all make a difference.

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There is one thing Alzheimer's cannot take away, and that is love.
Love is not a memory - it's a feeling that resides in your heart and soul.
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