The first time I noticed a difference in my wife was about three years ago when we were packing to move from NC to Virginia. Both of us were having some medical problems as we aged and we were urged to move closer to family. Of course moving is always a stressful time in our lives and I thought that everything would be alright after we became settled in our new surroundings.

Unfortunately, that was not to be. At first, it was only the short-term memory loss but I started to notice other changes, too. We scheduled an appointment with a neurologist and she diagnosed her with early stages of Dementia.

I started reading about the symptoms and I am not sure who told me about Insight but the educational resources and programs they offer are some of the most important learning tools one can have. As caregivers, we need the help and guidance that only trained professionals can truly provide.

I am one of the very fortunate caregivers that has wonderful back up almost whenever I need it. My wife’s son and daughter-in-law are always willing to help us in any and every way we need.

I started to attend caregiver classes and support groups and learned more about the disease and how to better care for my wonderful wife. Both our son and daughter-in-law also attended some of the support groups whenever they could and because of Insight, all of us felt more comfortable in every day care for her. Our daughter-in-law organized a Mind the Body Golf Event and Bazaar with all profits going to Insight.

We began participating in the bi-monthly Mind and Body workshops and met some wonderful people with our common situations. We had a project in which everyone participated and then split off into two groups, one for our loved one and one for the caregivers where we shared our experiences and frustrations. I particularly liked this small support group because everything we discussed was a real circumstance that we all learned from and helped tremendously if we also had a similar event later on with our loved one. We all learned so much from sharing our situations and experiences. The Insight leaders kept the group focused. We then assembled together and enjoyed pizza and talking with the other people. I think all of us left with a feeling of comfort and comradery.

As the dementia progressed, my wife participated in the Reconnections program and later into the blue group at the Memory Care Center. All of the staff are always so kind and attentive to our loved ones and very well trained for situations that most of us cannot imagine. They are true angels for our loved ones.

Insight Memory Care Center has helped my wife, myself and our family to cope with this tragic disease and given us knowledge and tools to provide better care for the most wonderful person we know.

Life is certainly better with Insight.