Tagged: diagnosis
North Bay resident supports Association for more than 25 years
Having both a grandmother and then, thirty years later, a mother with dementia, Joan Marks knows what it’s like to be a caregiver. Because of her experience with the disease, she decided to give...
Supporting Native American elders living with dementia
November is Native American Heritage month. As the number of older Native Americans grows, so does the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease. Native Americans encounter difficulties getting a diagnosis, receiving care and educating their communities....
Difficult diagnosis leads Bay Area sisters to find the Alzheimer’s Association
When Tuseda Graggs and her sister Stacey Johnson noticed changes in their mother, Willie Mae, they sought medical care. Their mother’s primary care doctor didn’t believe that her memory problems were dementia-related. Refusing to...
Merced caregiver finds joy in little moments
Aimee Mattson and her wife Val Geurin have been caregivers for Val’s mother, Bonnie for over eight years. Aimee and Val have found ways to educate themselves about dementia, manage the challenges, and appreciate...
Staying friends after Alzheimer’s
When people become diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other dementias it’s common for some family, friends or neighbors to pull away. Not knowing how to act or what to say, they find it easier to...
Daughter grows closer to dad after diagnosis
A few years after her father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Sylvia Sanchez’s mother, who was the primary caregiver, passed away. Sylvia and her siblings had to move their father into a care facility. Despite...
Caring for mom as a family
Florence Marquez dedicated her life to helping others. When she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease her family stepped up to help. Her daughters, Barbara and Becky Marquez share their story about caring for their...