My name is Jenni Desserich and my dad has developed a specific dementia called Lewy Body Disease with Parkinsonism (LBD). My dad, Jim, is in the later stages of this disease and he is dying from it. My mom, Crystal, and I are his primary caregiving team working to help him live safely in our home (as per his wishes) here in Fairway Villas for as long as we can.

I'm sharing a bit about our very personal journey so I can announce the formation of my non-profit organization called Dignify Dementia to help promote dementia awareness and advocacy.  Our mission is simply to support individuals, family members, and other care partners navigating the challenges of dementia.  By providing resources and developing a community, we aim to reduce the fear and stress of adjusting to this new reality and preserve the independence and dignity of everyone living with dementia.

I started Dignify Dementia to provide suffering people a personalized toolkit designed to focus on the positive, meaning all the things they can still do rather than the things they can no longer do.  The toolkit is intended to help people living with dementia as well as members of their care community to get, and stay connected and organized, and to adopt sustainable routines that will assist them to stay anchored in the present.  The toolkit is research-informed and it allows the person living with dementia some control over their own day by having a document written by them to which they can refer throughout the day.  In addition to the toolkit, Dignify Dementia provides a collection of helpful resources on a comprehensive list of topics including (but not limited to) enrichment activities to end-of-life care, we also list helpful events and trainings, as well as the other services we provide.

Contact Information:

Dignify Dementia www.DignifyDementia.org

Founder & Executive Director, Jennifer Desserich, MPH

Phone:  720-663-7635

Social:

https://www.facebook.com/DignifyDementia/

https://www.instagram.com/DignifyDementia/