Elena Bare first learned about the Alzheimer’s Association in 2022 from a colleague at her job at Wayne-Sanderson Farms in Dobson, N.C. Sadly, this was just two months before her husband passed away from the disease, after living with it for six years. Now, she’s a passionate advocate for raising awareness in rural communities about the programs, services and resources available to caregivers – knowledge she wish she had when her husband Frank was first diagnosed.
This wasn’t Elena’s first experience with Alzheimer’s. She and her family had previously helped care for her father-in-law for nearly 12 years. However, what came as a big surprise was her husband’s younger-onset diagnosis at just 64 years old. His father had been much older when diagnosed.
In 2017, Elena and her daughter grew concerned when they noticed Frank struggling with simple tasks like putting in a new trash bag, making coffee or sandwiches, and driving.
Frank, a former air traffic controller for the U.S. Air Force and later a computer analyst with Hanes Brands, had always been precise with data. That year, he made a significant error on their taxes, and Elena could no longer dismiss her concerns and scheduled an appointment with his primary care doctor.
“That Alzheimer’s diagnosis was not only hard to hear, but also very isolating,” said Elena. “Looking back, my daughter and I realized he was probably showing signs as early as 2015. But he was so young—it didn’t occur to us that it could be dementia. Aside from his cognition, he was healthy and had no other health issues.”
Over the next several years as his dementia progressed, Elena, with the help of her daughter, became his full-time caregiver while also working full-time. Her employer Wayne Sanderson Farms provided tremendous support and flexibility as she navigated each day.
“From diagnosis to six years later, I noticed our family relationships changed and became more distant,” Elena shared. “They didn’t understand the disease or how to help, so many family and friends avoided us. It was very isolating, and I felt alone—on top of worrying about how I was going to continue to care for Frank and afford his care.”
Caregiver stress is a widespread issue. According to the Alzheimer’s Association 2024 Facts and Figures report, across the country, 59% of dementia caregivers report high to very high emotional stress due to caregiving and 38% report high to very high physical stress due to caregiving. Seventy-four percent of dementia caregivers report they are “somewhat concerned” to “very concerned” about maintaining their own health since becoming a caregiver. In North Carolina, 67,513 (18.1%) of dementia caregivers report frequent poor physical health.
“A colleague told me about the Alzheimer’s Association and the support they offer. I immediately got engaged with the organization,” said Elena. “Their website and Helpline was invaluable to me in those last two months of Frank’s life. After he passed away my company got involved with the local Walk to End Alzheimer’s event in Mount Airy to show their support to me and my family. Seeing my colleagues wearing purple in his honor really touched me. Today, I am a team captain and chair for the Walk.”
This year will mark Elena’s fourth time participating in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s – Mount Airy. It has become an annual tradition and opportunity to engage with others about the programs, resources and support available to other families through the Alzheimer’s Association.
“This is a really exciting time in Alzheimer’s research and I’m proud of the progress being made,” states Elena. “I am happy to be involved and supporting the Alzheimer’s mission to end Alzheimer’s. This is something that I don’t’ want my daughter to have to go through again. That motivates me to keep raising funds.”
LIKE ELENA, WE ALL HAVE A REASON TO FIGHT FOR A WORLD WITHOUT ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE. Join your local Walk to End Alzheimer’s today as an individual, team, or sponsor.
Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s®:
The Alzheimer’s Association hosts 17 walks across North Carolina. The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Since 1989, the Alzheimer’s Association® mobilized millions of Americans in the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk®; now the Alzheimer’s Association is continuing to lead the way with Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Together, we can end Alzheimer’s.
Walk to End Alzheimer’s 2025 dates in North Carolina:
| Alamance County | 9/27/25 |
| Asheville | 9/27/25 |
| Charlotte | 10/18/25 |
| Fayetteville | 10/25/25 |
| Gaston/Cleveland/Lincoln | 10/11/25 |
| Guilford County | 10/25/25 |
| Henderson County | 9/27/25 |
| Iredell Co. & Lake Norman | 9/27/25 |
| Jacksonville | 9/27/25 |
| Moore County | 9/13/25 |
| Mount Airy | 9/20/25 |
| New Bern | 10/18/25 |
| Rowan-Cabarrus | 10/4/25 |
| Unifour | 10/25/25 |
| Triangle (Raleigh-Durham) | 10/4/25 |
| Wilmington | 11/1/25 |
| Winston-Salem | 11/16/25 |
Alzheimer's Association North Carolina Blog 