The Fall weather was pristine as 900 New Yorkers joined the 35th annual CaringKind New York City Alzheimer’s Walk through Central Park on Sunday to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers.
CaringKind NYC, which has been around for over 40 years, is the city’s leading expert on Alzheimer’s Disease. The organization supports caregivers and dementia patients from the early onset of the ruthless disease to the end of life, providing essential services like education, caregiver workshops, dementia consultations and coaching services, and support groups, to name a few.
The event raised over $450,000 and kicked off at the Naumburg Bandshell with a dance performance by the Blue Royalty Dance team of Blue Angels Music & Arts Program and a Chinese dragon dance. WABC-TV news anchors Bill Ritter and Mike Marza led through the pre-walk program.
This year’s honorees included Anne C. Sansevero, Dr. Anderson Torres, Pauline Yeung, Judith Grimaldi, Sandeep Jauhar, and the Canine Unit of the NYPD, represented by NYPD P.O. Loomis and his partner K9 bloodhound Daisy.
In January, P.O. Loomis and Daisy helped locate a senior suffering from Alzheimer’s, who was returned home safely.
Jed Levine, former CEO and current president emeritus at CaringKind, explained that CaringKind had had a close relationship with the NYPD since 1993 when the organization implemented the MedicAlert NYC Wanderer’s Safety program, which helps to identify people at risk of wandering.
“We’ve had a missing persons detective assigned to us since that time. They help us investigate and help us spread the word when somebody with Alzheimer’s or related disorders is missing,” Levine said. “And then dogs like Daisy can be really helpful for people who are not found quickly or easily.”
Eleonora Tornatore-Mikesh, CEO and president of CaringKind, shared that the organization partnered with the Love Foundation for the event, giving out free air tags to walkers.
“It doesn’t replace the medical alert,” Tornatore-Mikesh said. “It’s in addition to the bracelet, but it is an additional thing to try to help people to stay safe.”
This year’s walk was an interactive and community-centric experience. Participants had the opportunity to learn about the latest clinical trials, chill out with Reiki and mini massages at the Caregiver Relaxation Station, meet with CaringKind social workers, and sign up for the MedicAlert NYC Wanderer’s Safety program.
Walkers also could get their hearing tested for free research links Alzheimer’s to hearing loss, and according to one study, people with hearing loss were 24% more likely to have Alzheimer’s.
Tornatore-Mikesh said the biggest challenge was to reduce the stigma surrounding Alzheimer’s, and they were still waiting for a “Magic Johnson” moment, where people share their stories dealing with the disease that doesn’t discriminate against gender, race, or economic status.
“Most people are still embarrassed, and they don’t want to come forward. You know, being able to share that they have a diagnosis or they have symptoms,” Tornatore-Mikesh said. “We want to continue to, you know, promote and let them know that we’ll help stand by them.”
Todd Matlovsky and Townsend Davis walked the 2-mile loop for their spouses, Bridget and Isabel, who were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2016.
Matlovsky and Davis met through CaringKind.
Davis said his wife’s neurologist told him their first stop should be CaringKind for support and resources when they received the diagnosis. The organization has been “incredible,” creating a community of positivity and camaraderie.
“I’ve used it for spousal support, for social work, advice about caregiving. I’ve used it for legal planning and legal aspects of care,” Davis said. “So it’s a full-service, one-stop shop for caregivers.”
Matlovsky added that families and patients don’t know what services are available when they learn their loved one has Alzheimer’s.
“[CaringKind] opened up so many different worlds,” Matlovsky said. “It’s holistic for the entire family. So, it’s not only for the person with the diagnosis. When you first start this journey, you focus on them only. But you start to realize that it’s truly a holistic approach to this.”
For more information about CaringKind and the services the non-profit provides, visit caringkindnyc.org.
