FITNESS TRAINING FOR THE “ALZHEIMER’S MARATHON” — ONE WOMAN SHARES HER REGIMEN

August 2, 2020.Reading time 9 minutes.

Kim Carpenter equates caring for her mom to a marathon, as it is far from a sprint. The book “Once an Adult and Twice a Child” rings true for Kim, a resident of Durham, North Carolina. “Until you experience it firsthand, and more so from a caregiver’s perspective, you don’t realize how much Alzheimer’s disease […]

FATHER’S DIAGNOSIS INSPIRES WINSTON-SALEM WOMAN TO HELP OTHERS PLAN FOR THE FUTURE

July 27, 2020.Reading time 9 minutes.

Laura Banasiewicz remembers her father as being very active and sharp. In fact, her father George worked as an engineer well into his seventies. He did all of his family’s finances and was very handy around the house. “He could fix anything,” Laura recalls. It was this drive and attention to detail that first alerted […]

AVID GOLFER’S FAMILY TAKES A SWING AGAINST ALZHEIMER’S

July 20, 2020.Reading time 10 minutes.

If there is one thing Pinehurst, N.C. is known for it is golf, having hosted a number of prestigious golf tournaments including U.S. Open Championships, the U.S. Women’s Open, a PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup. Pinehurst resident, Marge Swierz remembers her husband John as a “very calm, relaxed person… he was fun to be […]

Family’s Fight Against Dementia Becomes Blessing IN Disguise

July 13, 2020.Reading time 9 minutes.

Enjoying coconut cupcakes and bacon for breakfast, drinking a nightly ‘inch’ wine and listening to the tunes of legendary crooners Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, these memories of Ellie Mae Franks are forever engraved on the hearts of Kelly and Doug Ramsay. “We were living in South Florida when we realized my mom had developed […]

Alamance Pastor Raises Awareness in His Community

July 6, 2020.Reading time 7 minutes.

Jimmie Burgess grew up listening to his grandmother preach. Her extensive knowledge of the Bible is actually what alerted her family to the first signs of her developing dementia. Jimmie recalls that she would “get to the sermon and get flustered.” Her sermons would “lose a coherent and clear direction.” Jimmie’s grandfather stepped up resolutely […]

Passion and Perseverance provide hope in one n.C. town

June 22, 2020.Reading time 11 minutes.

“Anything is possible if you have enough nerve,” once said British author and Harry Potter creator JK Rowling. Allison Hemrick, Community Outreach Provider for Mountain Valley Hospice and Palliative Care of Mt. Airy, NC, tends to agree as it relates to her journey thus far in heightening the awareness of Alzheimer’s and other forms of […]

Michele honors father on this unprecedented Father’s Day

June 15, 2020.Reading time 11 minutes.

Michele Cook of Huntersville, N.C. began her collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Association roughly 20 years ago in Michigan when a colleague in the senior care industry suggested she join her team and help fundraise for the new local Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Fast forwarding to the present, Michele has worn many professional hats, but has […]

Advocate and New Mom Marie gets moving in memory of her grandma

May 26, 2020.Reading time 8 minutes.

From as early as she could remember, Marie Glapiak’s grandmother Nell was in constant motion. Every time they would visit, Nell would be awake before everyone else, spend the full day cooking and cleaning and loving on her grandchildren, and then be the last one to bed as she prepared for the next day. She […]

Local Law Professional Steps Up to Coach Fight to #EndAlz

May 11, 2020.Reading time 8 minutes.

Durham resident Devon Newton started playing football when he was four years old. The sport stayed with him through high school; he even coached his college team (although he jokingly admits you wouldn’t be impressed with this if you knew where he went to college). Devon has a passion for the game that is honest […]

Mother’s Day Takes on a Whole New Meaning for One Advocate

May 4, 2020.Reading time 8 minutes.

Caregiving under normal circumstances is not easy. Caregiving during a pandemic is a different story altogether. Mother’s Day this year has a new feeling to Wake County resident April Thornton who is caring for her mother Linda Ann at home through this trying time. Linda Ann made a career as an Administrative Assistant for the […]