Lisa LoCascio of Westchester said she first noticed something different in her mother, Caroline, who is now living with dementia disease, in the mid-2000s.
Caroline LoCascio had recently retired from a career in the fashion industry after owning her own boutique, Sweet Caroline’s in Larchmont, for many years, and later working with fashion icon Gloria Sachs, for whom she was a personal assistant and ran fashion shows. She had also worked at Lord & Taylor’s in Eastchester.
“It was probably 2006,” Lisa LoCascio recalled. “There was some stress going on in the family, and I just noticed some irrational behavior that wasn’t in her usual responses — it did not fit her personality. Then things calmed down, but she did not react well to pressure or stress any longer, while she had always been the rock for our family before.”
Problems with paperwork and bill paying eventually made it apparent her mother needed help.
“Mom’s past accomplishments made it hard to accept that something was amiss. At first, she began to forget where she left things, like her house keys or her pocketbook. Then she would repeat what she had just said. Eventually, mom needed my help with everyday tasks such as remembering ingredients for cooking her family’s favorite meals or balancing her checkbook.”
Caroline LoCascio said she also knew something was wrong, but initially tried to keep it a secret.
“As a former boutique owner, I was proud of my accomplishments in life when I retired at age 70. But deep down, I knew something was wrong,” she recalled. While Lisa LoCascio said her mother initially resisted her intervention, she secretly had herself checked and received a clinical diagnosis of “progressive dementia.”
After the diagnosis, Lisa turned to the Alzheimer’s Association Hudson Valley Chapter for help and had a Care Consultation with Joan Nimmo, one of the licensed social workers on staff
“Joan recommended some wonderful caregiver support groups and social programs that mom and I could sign up for that very same day,” Lisa said. “That was back in early January of 2020. A time when nobody could have predicted the loneliness and isolation of the impending dark season about to envelop all of our lives.”
When Caroline’s day care program shut down as a result of COVID, the impact was tough.
“We were isolated and needed some help,” Lisa recalled. “I called Joan, and she said they were doing some caregiver support groups online. One was the AlzWell Social Club, and a caregiver support group, which got me through the pandemic and created a community around my mom and myself.”
Lisa credits the online support programs with helping she and her mother get through the pandemic.
“Because of The Alzheimer’s Association Hudson Valley Chapter, I never once felt overwhelmed or alone on my caregiving journey with mom despite the isolation of the pandemic,” she said. “Although we could not meet in person, the support groups I had joined became my lifelines via our Zoom sessions. Mom had fun activities, and I had heart-to-heart phone calls with my fellow caregivers. As an additional benefit, I believe the empowerment my mother gained through the AlzWell Social Club online led her to agree to volunteer to participate in a clinical trial.”
Caroline agreed that she was grateful for the help they received from the Association.
“Thankfully, my daughter and I turned to the Alzheimer’s Association Hudson Valley Chapter for guidance. Now, I no longer feel ashamed. I’ve even volunteered to try new treatment methods with the hope that it will help uncover the cure of the future. I wish to inspire everyone with Alzheimer’s to ask for help so they, too, may live fully and cherish each moment just like me.”
The two plan to participate in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Sunday, Oct. 2, when Caroline will hold a blue flower in honor of people living with dementia during the opening ceremony at Westchester Community College in Valhalla. The ceremony features four flower holders, with each flower’s color representing a different relationship to the disease.
“My mom says as long as we continue to help the Alzheimer’s Association support new research, the future looks bright. As we step closer towards Westchester County’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s, my fellow caregivers and I on team Dare to Care totally agree,” Lisa said.
To register for the walk and get more details, visit WestchesterWalk.org
