Donate a Dollar to Dementia
Hello,
My name is Richard Taylor and for the past several years I have been living with the symptoms and diagnosis of dementia, probably of the Alzheimer’s type. Recently, I was honored to be selected as the recipient of the 2009 Carter Williams Legacy Award for the new purpose I have created for my life - bringing a voice to people who are living with Alzheimer’s and dementia, and helping others see persons with dementia as people – first. We are not just a “disease” that needs a cure. We are whole human beings who just happen to have that diagnosis. People with dementia are whole people and should be treated as whole people.
The award I received is given annually by Pioneer Network. With this personal award I want to take the opportunity to shape the focus of the 2010 Carter Williams Legacy Fund. This is a fund created and administered by Pioneer Network to financially support opportunities for personal growth in those individuals who are quite literally pioneers in the new frontier of aging, who are working every day to change the culture of elder care and aging across America.
I have asked that the 2010 awards be granted to individuals who are directly engaged in research and support of folks who have been diagnosed with some form of dementia and the wonderful caregivers who care for them. I believe there is a grossly disproportionate emphasis on supporting research efforts into finding a “cure” for dementia (primarily of the Alzheimer’s type), at the expense of focusing on finding “cures” (or at least promising or best practices) to deal with the real life, every day problems created by being forced to live with the various symptoms of dementia. Unfortunately there is very little focus on how to help those who are LIVING with dementia and the angels currently caring for them.
I agree, it would be wonderful for all of us baby boomers to leave a legacy to ourselves and our children of having funded the effort that cures and eliminates dementia from the human race. The reality is this is almost for sure not going to occur in our lifetime, and it most likely won’t occur in the lifetime of our children (given the progress or lack there-of of 25 years of research and billions of dollars spent on this research). The reality is that more than half (52%) of the U.S. population knows someone who is living with Alzheimer’s or someone who has had it. The reality is that up to 80% of assisted living and nursing home residents have some degree of dementia. The fact is PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA ARE EVERYWHERE!
Here is my challenge to you: I ask you to please donate one dollar for every person you know who is living with and has been touched by the symptoms of dementia. Think of how many people you personally know who are LIVING with the symptoms of dementia, or who have been touched by these symptoms... Even if they are not yet diagnosed, the symptoms may already be impacting the quality of their lives, their relationships and their jobs. How many people with dementia do you know who deserve to have a better quality of life?
I believe we need to work together to create a NEW legacy ~ A legacy which supports and enables folks who must live with dementia, their families and professional caregivers. A legacy which convenes, advances and broadcasts the diverse array of individual efforts to identify and define specific ways or methods to humanize care for people who are living with dementia. I believe it is a MORAL IMPERATIVE that the people who are CURRENTLY LIVING with the symptoms of dementia, their families and the caregivers be the first priority for research and support dollars.
With this award comes my chance to offer others – to offer YOU - the opportunity to directly participate in creating a legacy of support for your parents, your children and yourselves. To my knowledge, this is the ONLY opportunity to support the relatively few individuals who are currently working to conduct research and provide support to HUMANIZE DEMENTIA CARE. As we all grow older, we all run an increasingly higher probability of living with an ever increasing severity of the symptoms of dementia in our lives. Alzheimer’s is called “the long good-bye.” Don’t say good-bye to people with dementia, say HELLO!
The legacy you create for others will change the way that YOU will be treated if you ever have to walk in my shoes.
Donate a Dollar to Dementia. A dollar for EVERY family member, friend, neighbor and friend of a friend who now LIVES with dementia isn’t too much to ask from any one individual. But collectively, if everyone will do it, more than a million dollars will be, and I firmly believe should be raised. I am confident this will happen.
Please, please add this donation to your personal legacy for your children, your folks, and yourself.
DO IT NOW.
Thanks,
Richard
