The National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners awarded their Certified Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Trainer (CADDCT) of the year to Melissa Long, our Director of Education and Support!
What’s in store for the next 40 years? Rest assured, whatever Insight looks like in the future, we will continue to meet our mission - and the need for care - for as long as our families need us.
In 2022, thanks to support from the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, Insight Memory Care Center added interactive gaming technology to our day programs. While we could see the benefit of the system at our center, in 2023 we were fortunate to connect with Dr. Megumi Inoue, Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work at George Mason University. She proposed a research study to examine the effects of the gaming system on cognitive function, mood, and behaviors for those living with dementia.
Our founder shares a welcome in our annual report: "In 1984, Alzheimer’s was still in the dark ages in terms of people knowing about it, much less having services available. Caregivers asked me, if we can take care of our loved ones 24/7, why can’t there be a place where they can go for even a couple hours a week? With the help of many amazing volunteers, the day center was born. We had a waiting list before we even opened...
We truly thank you for your support for Giving Tuesday. But it's not just a day for us to ask for your support - we wanted to give back too! We had a great time celebrating on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube - sharing resources, caregiving tips, advice, and stories. Take a look below and we hope we can gift you with helpful tips this holiday season and beyond!
Insight collects program attendance and voluntary demographic information for all of our programs. This past fiscal year we served over 10,000 individuals across our care, support, and education programs, representing a 37 percent increase from the previous year!
Insight Memory Care Center’s Excellence in Memory Care Award recognizes programs and services that are models of excellence and are positively impacting memory care in our community. Congratulations to our 2024 winner, See Me at the Smithsonian!
Insight Memory Care Center’s Excellence in Memory Care Award recognizes programs and services that are models of excellence and are positively impacting memory care in our community. The 9th Annual Award will be presented at the event on October 4th. This year we have three fantastic finalists. The winner will be announced the evening of the event!
Insight completes an annual survey each spring, asking all of our participants, care partners, and families to provide their feedback on all of our programs. Here's what our families had to say about our programs over the past fiscal year, July 2023 to June 2024.
Thanks to grant funding from Fairfax County's Trauma-Informed Spaces Grant Program we were able to make updates to our Fairfax Reconnections space guided by trauma-informed design elements.
On Thursday, July 18th, Insight Memory Care Center held a community celebration in honor of our 40th Anniversary. We welcomed friends new and old to visit the center, enjoy food and drinks, and most of all, share in the memories and impact Insight has had in the Fairfax community over the last four decades.
Insight is excited to offer a new training opportunity focused on creating a dementia capable society! Dementia Capable Care (DCC) Training gives you the tools needed to be the best caregiver for those living at different stages of dementia. This training focuses on practical solutions to preventing and de-escalating behaviors, through online learning and an in-person session to address common scenarios.
As we take a look back over the past year, here's a little bit about what we've been up to and what we were able to accomplish over the last year, from July 2023 to June 2024!
Deborah Aquino is our "We Care" Employee of the Year! She has been with Insight for just over a year, and she has already made a huge impact for our Day Center participants. As a Recreation Coordinator, she works each day with participants in our Blue, Orange, and Coral groups to provide engagement, purpose - and fun!
Melissa Long, our Director of Education and Support, was honored with a 2024 Equality Loudoun Pride Award for mission in service to the queer community and the Loudoun community! Melissa has made it her mission to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community of Northern Virginia who are living with dementia. Her work aims to ensure that everyone with dementia feels comfortable seeking the resources they need to care for their loved ones safely and free from judgement. Congratulations, Melissa!
The opportunity to become a caregiver for a loved one can bring you closer and come with many positive experiences. However, it can also be challenging and overwhelming! You have to deal with everything from how to switch a reversed sleep schedule to finding meaningful activities to fill the day. In honor of Insight's 40th anniversary here are 40 top tips from our Caregiving at a Glance Guide - one for each year of Insight!
We are grateful to have many talented social workers here at Insight who contribute to the organization in numerous positive ways and bring their social work mindset to each new or challenging situation. Whether it is connecting personally with participants, coordinating resources for families, engaging with the larger community, helping keep things going behind the scenes, or just being a listening ear, our social workers do extraordinary work to further our mission. As we celebrate Social Work Month - get to know a few of our social workers!
Research shows that the areas of the brain that control memory and skills such as planning and organizing improve with exercise. Dance has the added dimensions of rhythm, balance and music that enhance the benefits of simple movement. “Dance for Brain Health Classes” have started at the Workhouse Arts Center, Art of Movement in Lorton, and are beneficial for anyone experiencing cognitive decline as well as those interested in prevention!
Insight Memory Care Center may be celebrating our 40th this year, but we also have another milestone anniversary on the horizon. This spring marks the 10th Anniversary of our Early Stage Reconnections program! We are so grateful that Reconnections has grown so much over the past 10 years, serving hundreds of individuals over its history.
Our Early Stage Reconnections program builds community in Fairfax, Sterling, Alexandria, and online; Insight is so lucky to have an amazing team of recreation staff leading a variety of activities at each program. Whether it’s a lively reminiscence discussion, cornhole trivia, or an artist spotlight, our rec team provides engagement for each participant based on their interests and abilities. As we celebrate Recreation Therapy month, meet the early stage team!
Insight is fortunate to have amazing recreation staff leading participants in a variety of activities each day. Whether it’s brain fitness, a new art project, music therapy, or interacting with technologies like the multi-sensory room, the Obie, or virtual reality, our rec team provides engagement and support to participants in all stages of their dementia journey. As we celebrate Recreation Therapy Month, learn more about our day center recreation team and hear what they admire about each other!
We know that balance and strength training can decrease fall risk in older adults. Insight staff members have recently been trained in the Otago Exercise Program, a balance and strength training program which, if performed consistently, has been shown to decrease fall risk in older adults of 35 to 40 percent!
We are excited to announce that this year is our 40th anniversary! This incredible milestone marks four decades of unwavering commitment to providing quality dementia-specific care, support, and education in the Northern Virginia community. Here's a sneak peek at what's in store!
Each year, Insight offers hundreds (yes hundreds!) of specialized classes for care partners to build their skills and confidence while learning more about new topics, services, and dementia resources in the community. Using our own dementia expertise and working with community partners for additional specialized topics, we're excited to continue to offer a wide variety of classes, workshops, trainings, author presentations, and even movie screenings in 2024. All of these sessions can be one more tool in your belt to being a stronger care partner! Check our full event calendar to see what's coming up!
“I did a lot of interaction in my previous life, and I just like being around people. And when I wasn't doing that, it just depressed me,” shares Rick, a participant in our early stage Reconnections program. Lindsey Vajpeyi, Director of Early Stage Programs, elaborates, "At Insight, people find a community. They find others who are going through something like they are and really get it." Watch their stories.
Tuesday, November 28th was Giving Tuesday, a worldwide day of giving! You’ve probably heard of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday as shopping days – Giving Tuesday is day to celebrate giving! But it's not just a day for us to ask for your support - we wanted to give back too! We had a great time celebrating on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube - sharing resources, caregiving tips, advice, and stories.
"Insight is not your typical place. You know, at Insight, they treat the individual as an individual," shares Mary, care partner for her husband. Hear more as Mary shares their story.
Insight Memory Care Center is pleased to recognize and thank The Providence Fairfax for supporting Insight’s care, support, and education for individuals and families living with memory impairment with a donation of $10,000 to start off the holiday season!
Insight Memory Care Center’s Excellence in Memory Care Award recognizes programs and services that are models of excellence and are positively impacting memory care in our community. Congratulations to our 2023 winner, Annie Rhodes and the Virginia Memory Project team! We sincerely thank you for your impact on memory care across all of Virginia! Read on to learn more about the work of the Virginia Memory Project.
FAIRFAX, Va. (7News) — A Fairfax County non-profit that’s called a lifeline for families and patients with memory-robbing dementia held a gala fundraiser Friday night. The dictionary defines insight as a clear perception. But for these folks, insight is a very real, very tangible place. Insight Memory Care Center offers help for both the patient and the family on a journey that rarely has a happy ending. "There is nothing more gratifying than working for an organization that can create those quality moments for such an insidious disease," Anita Irwin...
Insight Memory Care Center’s Excellence in Memory Care Award recognizes programs and services that are models of excellence and are positively impacting memory care in our community. The 8th Annual Award will be presented at the event on October 20th. This year we have three fantastic finalists. The winner will be announced the evening of the event. Learn more about our finalists and the impactful work they are doing!
We are excited to share that Jennifer Denk, our Director of Community Engagement, has been appointed the Fairfax Village in the City Advisory Board, where she will serve as a subject matter expert on dementia! The Advisory Board is composed of 9 to 15 city residents representing key stakeholder groups; Jen will be able to share dementia expertise and bring awareness for those living with dementia looking to age in place in their Fairfax City community.
Receiving an Alzheimer's or dementia diagnosis is daunting enough, but navigating all the options for care can quickly become even more overwhelming. One option that many have never heard of? Adult Day Programs. While we might be a bit biased here at Insight, we believe that day centers and day programs can be the perfect happy medium for many families - support, engagement, and safety during the day, and the comforts of family and home in the evening. In honor of National Adult Day Services Week, here are a few reasons to consider a day program.
Adult Day Services Week is a special week that has been celebrated annually since it was proclaimed in 1983 by former President Ronald Reagan. The third complete week of September is set aside to raise awareness of the availability and accessibility of adult day programs nationwide. If you’re familiar with Insight, you might already know this, but first what are Adult Day Services?
Reconnections has partnered with local Loudoun County non-profit, By Faith Fund, several times over the past year on donation drives for needs in the community including food, toiletries, holiday items, and school supplies. Most recently participants and their families had the opportunity to participate in a school supply and backpack drive for local students as the school year begins!
Encore Creativity for Older Adults is the nation’s largest choral organization with 42 ensembles in 7 states and the District of Columbia, serving almost 1300 singers. Sentimental Journey Singers, offered at Insight - Fairfax and Insight - Sterling is a FREE program for Insight participants and care partners to participate in. Come sing, laugh, and play with us at Insight!
Insight completes an annual survey each spring, asking all of our participants, care partners, and families to provide their feedback on all of our programs. Here is what our families had to say over this past fiscal year, July 2022 to June 2023.
As we take a look back over the past year, here's a little bit about what we've been up to and what we were able to accomplish over the last year, from July 2022 to June 2023!
The Cadette and Junior Girl Scouts from Troop 53039 in Alexandria, VA recently completed a wonderful service project at the Insight Fairfax day center location. The project involved painting flowerboxes, planting flowers, and cleaning an outdoor sensory space for the participants.
When they first came to Insight, they were in search of ways to stay engaged after a new diagnosis (and extended time at home during COVID!). What they found was a supportive environment for both of them. Monica shares, “He’s very happy here. I know he is. Because he wants to come.” Hear more as Monica shares their story.
Our nursing team goes above and beyond to care for our participants everyday. Not only do they keep our participants at the day center healthy and safe, they also prioritize creating relationships with all participants and putting in the effort to ensure that each one of our participants feels welcome and valued. We are very grateful to have this compassionate and dedicated team as part of our Insight family. As we recognize National Nurse's Week, meet our fabulous nursing team!
“We have recently participated in and completed the SHARE for Dementia program. We found it to be an invaluable resource and tool to plan for and prepare ourselves and our family for the inevitable changes and issues that lie ahead. We were initially reluctant to address topics that might increase our fear of future challenges, however our counselor, Melissa Long, guided us through the SHARE platform skillfully and provided us with a level of comfort that allowed us to walk through the process with ease and a growing confidence that we were making the best possible plans for our future.”
Social workers play a variety of roles in organizations across the country. Here at Insight Memory Care Center, our social workers impact the lives of participants and families in numerous positive ways. As we celebrate National Social Work Month, we honor the critical role Insight’s social workers play in our organization and the greater community!
We are grateful to have many fabulous social workers here at Insight who contribute to the organization in a variety of ways. Whether it is connecting with participants, coordinating resources for families, engaging the community, or just being a listening ear, our social workers do extraordinary work to further our mission. As we celebrate Social Work Month, meet our social workers!
We have grown significantly since caring for our first three participants in the basement of a church, and this new center in Sterling represents the first time programs have expanded beyond shared spaces to a dedicated, second center. This new space expands our programs for those with mild cognitive impairment and early dementia and serves care partners through support groups and education programs. We able to add so much value to our programming through our wonderful partnerships.
Insight Memory Care Center celebrated a milestone event with the opening of its second location, an Early Stage Center in Sterling, Virginia, on January 5, 2022. It’s hard to believe the Sterling Early Stage Center is now one year old! Our Loudoun location offers our popular Reconnections early stage program four days a week. We also offer care partner education and support programs at this location as well, as we aim to serve the entire family through their journey.
Insight Memory Care Center celebrated a milestone event with the opening of its second location, an Early Stage Center in Sterling, Virginia, on January 5, 2022. It’s hard to believe the Sterling Early Stage Center is now one year old! Learn more about the programs we offer, partnerships that make it possible, and the first year at our Sterling Early Stage Center in Loudoun.
Insight is fortunate to have an amazing recreation staff leading participants in a variety of activities each day. Whether it’s brain fitness, a new art project, music therapy, or interacting with technologies like the multi-sensory room, the Obie, or virtual reality, our rec team provides engagement and support to participants in all stages of their dementia journey. As we celebrate Recreation Therapy Month, meet the rec team!
As our Early Stage Reconnections program has expanded to Fairfax, Sterling, and virtual options, Insight is so lucky to have an amazing team of recreation staff leading a variety of activities at each program. Whether it’s a lively discussion, cornhole trivia, an artist spotlight, or a virtual program with the Smithsonian, our rec team provides engagement for each participant based on their interests and abilities. As we celebrate Recreation Therapy month, meet the early stage team!
One of the top questions we get about our programs at Insight is “what do they do all day?” It’s a natural question, since many of us have images of seniors playing bingo all day in our heads! At Insight Memory Care Center, we work hard to ensure that participants are engaged in a wide variety of activities at all levels of our programs – which is where we depend on our fantastic recreation therapists!
Insight Memory Care Center is excited to begin a virtual reality program – the first of its kind – to boost engagement, mental wellness, and quality of life for senior participants in our adult day health center. Anita Irvin, Executive Director, shares, “We are always looking for innovative ways to engage our participants in our day programs. When we were first looking at the option of virtual reality, our staff was quickly on board when we realized all the possibilities for our participants to reminisce, connect, and engage with each other in new ways."
"My hope for Insight in the future is that we continue to serve our home base here, but at the same time expand our reach further and further," shares Rodney. "My own grandmother, she was diagnosed with dementia. She lives in North Carolina and she doesn't have stuff like this there," says Selena. Listen as staff and family members share their hopes for the future with Insight Memory Care Center.
Using our own dementia expertise and working with community partners for additional specialized topics, we're excited to continue to offer a wide variety of classes, workshops, trainings, author presentations, and even movie screenings in 2023. All of these sessions can be one more tool in your belt to being a stronger care partner!
“Stephen had undiagnosed probable Lewy Body dementia and he took cold tablets, which can set the disease process in full blown proportions. And that’s how we started with Lewy Body – jumped in with both feet,” shares Lynn, care partner for her husband. Watch their story.
Tuesday, November 29th is Giving Tuesday, a worldwide day of giving. You’ve probably heard of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday as shopping days – Giving Tuesday is day to celebrate giving! We celebrated live on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube all day – sharing resources, caregiving tips, advice, and stories. Check out the panels and presentations!
Tuesday, November 29th is Giving Tuesday, a worldwide day of giving! You’ve probably heard of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday as shopping days – Giving Tuesday is day to celebrate giving!
Insight Memory Care Center’s Excellence in Memory Care Award recognizes programs and services that are models of excellence and are positively impacting memory care in our community. This year, for our 7th annual award, we have five fantastic finalists, and the winner will be announced the evening of the event! Read more about each of our finalists.
Insight Memory Care Center is so excited to be featured with one of our partners, ShiftMed, to highlight innovative nursing solutions providing care to those living with dementia. The Today Show story takes a look at solutions brought about by the pandemic for home care and in care facilities - where we were highlighted! Watch the story to catch our Executive Director, Anita Irvin, along with Marilu Rivera (who's been with Insight for over 25 years!), and a few of our wonderful participants engaged at the center.
There’s a dance program for people with Parkinson’s that combines music, seated dance, stretch and movement. It’s called Dance for PD®. However, for all the reasons we can list why dance is beneficial to people living with Parkinson’s, it’s how people feel during the class, and by the end of it, that matters most.
Like many families, the McDonald’s first approached Insight Memory Care with trepidation. Tom and his brother had noticed some changes in their dad, Bill, that seemed beyond normal aging. After several doctors’ visits, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. On one hand it was a relief to know what was going on with their dad, but on the other, it mostly meant a whole new journey in front of them.
This year at Insight Memory Care Center, one thing we have been working on is taking a closer look at our words, starting specifically with our mission and vision statements. We spent time in this process talking with our families, staff, and board members. With their feedback, three things came up that we knew our words needed to address.
As we take a look back over the past year, here's a little bit about what we've been up to and what we were able to accomplish over the last year.
Insight completes an annual survey each May, asking all of our participants, care partners, and families to provide their feedback on all of our programs. Here is what our families had to say over this past fiscal year, July 2021 to June 2022.
After a rigorous review process, we are proud to announce our selection to the 2022-23 Catalogue for Philanthropy class of trusted local nonprofits! It’s an honor to be selected by community advocates across the region based on our impact and work.
Surely when you think of Insight, the first thing you think of is interactive gaming technology, right? Well, we are excited to add the Obie for Seniors system to our day center that uses a projector and motion sensors to turn walls, floors, and tables into interactive gaming centers!
Insight Memory Care Center celebrated a milestone event with the Grand Opening Celebration of its second location, an Early Stage Center in Sterling, Virginia. For the past 38 years, Insight has provided specialized care, support, and education for individuals in all stages of memory loss, their care partners, and the community. The organization has grown significantly since caring for the first three participants in the basement of a church, and this new center in Sterling represents the first time programs have expanded beyond partnerships and shared spaces to a dedicated, second center.
Insight Memory Care Center is excited to share that our Caregiving at a Glance Workshop was recently awarded an Honorable Mention in the 2022 Best Practices Awards from the Commonwealth Council on Aging! Established in 2006, the Best Practices Awards recognize and encourage the replication of model programs in Virginia, particularly that foster aging in place, livable communities and home and community-based services.
I arrived in Sterling all set for the first night and began greeting the five couples who would be participating as they arrived. Because five of the 10 participants had dementia, I hadn’t set huge goals for the evening, I really just wanted everyone to have fun. But as soon as the “practice round” of participants building a tower began I knew this group was special! They didn’t just stack the bricks on top of each other, some built towers to represent places they had visited in the past like the Burj Al Arab in Dubai and their first duty station in Greece.
At Insight Memory Care Center, we are so fortunate to have a fantastic team of dedicated social workers to support our families. In honor of Social Work month this March, we wanted to celebrate and share all that they do! Meet Rodney, Stephanie, Ellie, Jen, and Markita!
An initiative that begun in 2019, Dementia Friendly Fairfax brings awareness and support for those living with dementia and their care partners in Fairfax County, Virginia. Today we’re getting to know Allegra Joffe, Caregiver Specialist, Fairfax Area Agency on Aging, and Diane Watson, Mount Vernon Rep on the Fairfax Area Commission on Aging & Long Term Care Coordinating Council (LTCCC) Member contact person for the Spring Hill Community Village in Lorton, VA. They are two of Dementia Friendly Fairfax’s action team members. Robin McGlothin from Insight Memory Care Center gets the conversation going!
Over 15 years ago, Insight Memory Care Center developed a program designed for couples in the early stage of dementia find new ways to connect with each other, meet other families who are walking a similar path, focus on healthy minds and bodies, and adjust to life with a new diagnosis. The Mind & Body Workshop is often the first program families attend, many still nervous about joining a “memory loss” program. But the camaraderie of the group quickly turns anxieties into anticipation as families look forward to each next session.
After two years of navigating a global pandemic, there are few of us that fail to see the benefits of community support! Many, especially care partners, face significant need for support and a safe space to cope with caregiving, on top of the prolonged effects of today’s global climate. However, sometimes simply starting a support group is not as easy as you might think!
New Year, New Classes! Our long-standing caregiver classes have a great line-up for 2022. All sessions are free, and open to anyone interested in learning more about caring for a loved one living with dementia. Speakers include the experts at Insight, along with community professionals who can share additional expertise. We hope you'll mark your calendars to join us for any or all of this year's classes.
Insight Memory Care Center is so excited to announce the opening of Insight Memory Care Center – Sterling, our new early-stage focused center in Loudoun County, VA. Insight’s increasingly popular Reconnections early stage program was slated to start in Sterling on January 3rd, but mother nature had other ideas - bringing a lot of snow to the whole region that day! Nevertheless, the seven new participants were excited to gather later that week to kick-off the new program.
We celebrated Giving Tuesday this year by Getting Ready! We had four great panels and presentations as we shared more about getting ready for the holidays - and caregiving throughout the year! Watch and learn more about what to look for when visiting aging parents, ideas to enjoy the holiday season, and a sneak peek of our new Sterling space!
A great thanksgiving meal is always something to be thankful for, and Insight is truly thankful to be a part of the Thanksgiving Project this year! Several community based organizations came together to provide families with a freshly prepared Thanksgiving meal, refrigerated items, and non-perishable items to enjoy this Thanksgiving. Insight received 19 of these meals for families who otherwise may have had to forego a Thanksgiving celebration.
Each fall, Insight Memory Care Center honors an individual or organization that is making a positive impact on memory care in our community. We are proud to announce that the winner of this year’s award is R. Scott Turner, MD, PhD!
We are very excited to share that earlier this month, Insight Memory Care Center acquired a lease for new space in Loudoun County! We will be opening a smaller, early-stage focused center in Sterling, VA. Right now, we're getting things cleaned up, adding fresh paint, bringing in furniture, and generally getting everything ready to welcome you into our new space!
Each year at our Paintings & Pairings event, Insight honors an individual or organization that is making a positive impact on memory care in our community. Now in it's 6th year, we've had many exemplary nominees - and winners! And this year's nominees are no different.
It's here! The Paintings & Pairings virtual auction opens today, and runs through Friday, October 15th at 1:00 pm. Take advantage of the Buy It Now option to snatch up vacation homes, holiday gifts, and many returning favorite items!
Lewy body dementia is the second most common type of dementia, with an estimated 1.4 million Americans diagnosed. In honor of Lewy Body Dementia Awareness Month, we've put together a few resources, both at Insight and in the wider community that may benefit your family.
Receiving an Alzheimer's or dementia diagnosis is daunting enough, but navigating all the options for care can quickly become even more overwhelming. One option that many have never heard of? Adult Day Programs. While we might be a bit biased here at Insight, we believe that day centers and day programs can be the perfect happy medium for many families - support, engagement, and safety during the day, and the comforts of family and home in the evening. In honor of National Adult Day Services Week, here are a few reasons to consider a day program.
The gerontological research team at George Mason University is committed to improving the lives of people living with ADRD and their caregivers. To that end, your participation in our studies help provide critical information about your lived experiences!
Celebrating our 10th year, the virtual Paintings & Pairings event features kick-off festivities, a week-long online auction, and an inspiring evening of Insight stories, interactive networking, and the Excellence in Memory Care Award. Celebrate the care, support, and education Insight provides for thousands in our community - all while keeping our community safe at home. Get your tickets today!
Insight is a nonprofit organization that relies on community support to fund our programs and services. This includes individual donors, corporate gifts, and grants to name a few. Insight recently received approval from Board of Directors of The Closet of the Greater Herndon Area to receive a $3,000 grant.
Insight is proud to share that our Financial Assistance Fund has been renamed the Kenneth G. Wood Financial Assistance Fund. It is in memory of and appreciation of Ken Wood's dedication to our mission, and for his service on the board from July 2017 to June 2020. Ken will forever be a part of the Insight family.
We aim to create a community where those affected by Alzheimer’s disease can achieve the highest quality of life. Our board of directors spent many hours over the past year brainstorming how Insight can best continue to serve families living with dementia. They developed new strategic goals to guide us over the next three years. We’re working towards this vision in three ways.
With all the problems across the globe in 2020, it was easy to forget about dementia. Unless your mom was becoming more and more forgetful. Or your spouse was just diagnosed. Or you weren’t able to go visit dad with all the COVID restrictions, and you worried about him even remembering you when you could visit again. While it didn’t make the daily news, dementia is still a problem.
If we've learned anything this year, it's that we're Stronger Together. And every little bit helps. Your small actions - like sharing a Facebook event - join with other’s actions - signing up for Amazon Smile - can add up to something big! Here are a few easy ways you can help Insight Memory Care Center.
Virtual programs can meet the needs of caregivers both near and far. Online support groups have allowed family members living in another state to participate regularly. Education classes are live and recorded - now accessible to attendees on a flexible schedule. Being able to offer care, support and education through a virtual presence provides a unique opportunity for families to stay connected and engaged in a way that was geographically limited pre-pandemic. Read more in our 2020-2021 Annual Report!
If we’ve learned anything this year, it’s that we’re stronger together. Take a look inside the report to learn more about who we are and what we do, how we handled all the changes 2020 brought, and how we ended up serving even more families in need - in the midst of a pandemic! From this report, we hope you’ll take away that Insight has come out of this year stronger than ever. We’re stronger together - and that’s with you. All our participants, families, and supporters who have stuck with us through quite a year - you’re the reason we’re still passionate, and keep helping each family navigate through their own dementia journey.
Insight Memory Care Center is led by a diverse board of directors, lending their skills and expertise to our mission. We owe many thanks to our Board of Directors for guiding Insight through the last year. The board worked closely adjusting our finances and quickly pivoting as things changed. We are a stronger organization today thanks to the work of the board of directors and Insight leadership. We are excited to share that Insight welcomed three new board members in 2021. Jaclyn, Cassandra, and Paul. They all bring experience and expertise to support Insight’s growth and expansion.
The results are in! We've recently completed our annual family survey. Each year, we ask our program participants about their experience, likes, dislikes, and what they'd like to see in the future. We were, of course, especially interested to see responses from this past year in light of the pandemic and the many, many changes and challenges we all faced!
Insight's Excellence in Memory Care Award recognizes an individual or organization that is positively impacting memory care in our community. Does anyone you know come to mind? Submit a nomination today! Nominations for the award will be open until July 30th at 5:00 pm. Finalists will be notified in September, and the winner will be announced live at the event on October 14th!
When you hear the hustle and bustle of our early stage program, Reconnections, starting up at 10:00 am, it’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since we slowly re-opened our center doors. Right now, we have five Reconnections groups meeting – in-person, virtually, and a hybrid summer session!
Insight Memory Care Center is so proud of our Executive Director, Anita Irvin, for receiving Leading Age Virginia's 2021 Vision Award. As a part of their annual conference, LeadingAge Virginia held a virtual awards presentation on June 9, 2021.
Insight is very excited to announce that Anita Irvin, our Executive Director, has been selected by Leading Age Virginia to receive the Vision Award for 2021! LeadingAge Virginia is an association of not-for-profit aging services organizations serving residents and clients across the senior care continuum, working together to expand the world of possibilities for aging. Their prestigious Vision Award recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to aging services, providing inspirational leadership, vision, and dedication in achieving their organization’s mission. Congratulations Anita!
We cannot thank you enough for your overwhelming support for our Stronger Together Giving Day on April 14th! Thanks to a generous donor, we had a match of $5,000 for the day. With your support, we met our $5,000 match and kept going - unlocking a total of over $14,000 for Insight!
At Insight, it’s always been our mantra to focus on what a person CAN do, not on the deficits from memory loss. Who knew that mantra would be a guiding light over the past year! Since the world basically shut down last March, Insight has focused on what we could do: continue our mission of providing specialized care, support and education for families living with dementia, and build on our capacity to serve our community in new ways.
