Walk to End Alzheimer’s
In the coming weeks, you may notice a display of flowers and a sign around Village Hall and in the Park Area. That display is provided by the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Cleveland, an organization for which I serve on the Board of Directors. This was not an organization that I knew much about or thought I would get involved for the first 35 years of my life. However, in 2020 when my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the age of 69, I was quickly connected by a family friend to an amazing person at the Alzheimer’s Association who leads a caregiver support group. This was incredibly helpful for our family as we educated ourselves and tried to understand the disease and how we would navigate this detour that our life would now take.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s are terrible diseases for those diagnosed, but can be equally or even more paralyzing for the caretakers, family, and friends who will be responsible for taking care of a loved one. Through the Alzheimer’s Association, I found incredible resources in the form of information and individuals who took the time to educate and listen. The path for someone diagnosed with this disease generally has only one direction at this time, but I am forever grateful and much better prepared to take care of my mother because of the support we had from the Alzheimer’s Association.
If you or someone you know may be impacted by dementia or Alzheimer’s, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help, guidance, or simply someone to talk to. Please also consider supporting this organization or getting involved in any way that you can so that others like myself can continue to find the knowledge and support needed as I do everything in my power to ensure that mom’s remaining time is the best it can possibly be.
Thank you for reading,
Councilman Ryan Bilsky