Dealing with Dementia

A dementia diagnosis means life changes, not ends

By Laura Forrest Hopfauf  

When Carolyn Perrygo began noticing changes in her husband John Perrygo, she expressed her concerns to their primary care physician who referred them to a hospital with a memory care specialty. It was there that John was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment and started medication along with dietary changes and additional exercise in the hopes of slowing his symptoms. 

After a few years, John participated in a clinical trial where he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia through an amyloid plaque PET scan that wasn’t yet available to the public at the time. 

“We made a conscious decision to tell everyone,” Carolyn says. “We added family and friends in abundance to our support team. Many people know what late-state Alzheimer’s looks like, but we have found few who know the early-stage signs and symptoms. From the beginning, we chose to be totally transparent about John’s diagnosis.”

John and Carolyn Perrygo, front center, and the Washington County commissioners proclaimed Dementia Friendly Washington County.

Although life has changed for Perrygo, it hasn’t ended. “Life has gotten a little more complicated,” Carolyn says as John’s Alzheimer’s has progressed, but 14 years after his initial diagnosis, the Perrygos are still living a fulfilling life and determined to help others with a dementia diagnosis do the same. Part of that is through their work with Dementia Friendly Washington County (DFWC), a local off-shoot of Dementia Friendly America, a national network that works to build communities to support people living with dementia along with their caretakers across the United States.

Rebekah Blum, a member of the Steering Committee of DFWC, a Certified Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Trainer, and Dementia Friend Champion, describes DFWC as this, “We are focused on providing dementia-friendly education sessions along with establishing a Memory Café in Washington County to provide people who are living with early stage dementia and their care provider a safe, inviting space to participate in social activities that engage the mind and senses of participants living with dementia.”

John and Carolyn also champion the Memory Café, which is now back to being on a monthly schedule after a hiatus due to the COVID pandemic. Carolyn says, “being around people who really understand means so much.”

The Memory Café meets on the third Thursday of each month from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Otterbein United Methodist Church in Hagerstown and provides a light lunch and socialization for those with a dementia’s diagnosis and their caretakers.

Blum adds, “Memory Café is done in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association and will also be a place that family caregivers for people living with dementia can get more information about the type of dementia their loved one has, as well as information for the caregiver to navigate all the changes and challenges they may be noticing in a loved one. Dementia of any kind is a disease that is felt by the person living with it but also the entire family, and we want to be a resource for these families.”

John and Carolyn Perrygo help Dementia Friendly Washington County improve life for local seniors with dementia.

In addition to providing direct support for families, DFWC is partnering with local government businesses and agencies to provide dementia education and training to their staff. 

“Washington County Board of Commissioners have declared Washington County as Dementia Friendly and required all county employees to take training on the subject. To date, about a third of all full-time county employees have had dementia-friendly training. Additionally, we are reaching out to businesses and groups and providing no- cost training to all who ask. CNB Bank has already trained its entire staff at a local branch and will be training all employees,” Carolyn adds.

Beyond all, DFWC seeks to provide hope for those who are dealing with a dementia diagnosis. 

Carolyn says, “DFWC gives us hope for a future where the stigma about dementia is gone through education and understanding, where resources are readily available to support all those touched by these diseases, and where we can support each other through the stages of the diseases.”

Blum echos and supports this sentiment. “We are able to give members of our community who have been affected by dementia in one way or another hope in knowing that they are not alone, and the diagnosis of dementia does not mean your life is over,” she says. “It is a change in one’s journey, but a person living with dementia can live a full life. It is okay to talk about it. It is okay to need help. That is what Dementia Friendly Washington County is all about.”

For training and education request please email
Rebekah Blum at rblum@bettyswish.org or
dementiafriendlywashco@outlook.com

For more information and the Memory Café contact Steven Luber at Steven.luber@rahmd.net

To get involved with DFWC in any other way email
dementiafriendlywashco@outlook.com or connect on Facebook