October 14, 2022

Walk to End Alzheimer’s is Personal for Amare Team Member

“One of the wonderful people I took care of passed a few years ago and I had held his hand up until the end. His wife is still a dear friend of mine, and it made her so happy that we came and walked in his honor. "

A team from Amare Medical Network participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s – Westmoreland County, PA on September 17th. The annual event raises money for Alzheimer’s Disease care and research. To kick off the walk, participants selected colors from “The Promise Garden” highlighting the following categories:

  • A purple flower means you lost someone to Alzheimer’s
  • A yellow flower means you are a caregiver to someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia
  • A blue flower means you are living with Alzheimer’s
  • An orange flower means you support the Alzheimer’s Association
The Amare Medical Network team at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s – Westmoreland County, PA 2022

In honor of a patient that she cared for during her time as a caregiver, Natasha Cook, Post-Acute & HHS Recruiter, chose a purple flower. Her gratitude for Amare’s decision to walk as a team was evident in her reflection on the event.

“I specifically provided care in the home to patients who had Alzheimer’s/Dementia. I was experienced in working with clients with memory care needs and individuals with intellectual disabilities so when those cases became available, I was the person who was asked to take them. You must be able to fill in the blanks for someone who can’t fill them for you, you must be able to redirect when the frustration becomes overwhelming,” said Cook.

She went on to express how she and a loved one of a previous patient felt about the walk, “One of the wonderful people I took care of passed a few years ago and I had held his hand up until the end. His wife is still a dear friend of mine, and it made her so happy that we came and walked in his honor. It was hard losing him for me, coming to terms with what it meant to give your heart to people, it means knowing you might lose them and loving them anyways.”

“That’s what it’s like all the time for caregivers of loved ones with memory loss, learning to love someone who might not always be the person you met years ago, loving someone who might not always remember that they know you or that they love you back. There’s beauty in having that kind of love for someone but there is a lot of struggle and heartache that comes with it.”

Amare Medical Network raised nearly $1,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association.



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