This week, we honor and remember all those who served in the United States military. Georgia resident, Camilla White, served as Colonel for the United States Army and then finished her career working for the federal government.
“My father is a Marine and he received the Congressional Medal of Honor”. My mom accepted it on his behalf because he had passed away from complications from Alzheimer’s disease”, added Camilla.
Camilla is one of the 527,000 caregivers living in Georgia. Camilla’s father passed away from Alzheimer’s disease in 2017. Her mother is now living with Alzheimer’s and Camilla is her primary caregiver.
“I was living life as a widow” added Camilla. “Mom was living with Dad in West Point, Georgia and after her diagnosis initially she came to live with me because Dad could not take care of her any longer, he was declining himself”.
Camilla, like many caregivers has frustrations including acceptance and lack of education about the disease. This year, Camilla decided to become an advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association. Camilla is also a Alzheimer’s Association Community Educator as she feels the disease is misunderstood.
How does Camilla get through her day? She receives support from friends, church, organizations for seniors and the dementia day care. She also counts on the help of her aunt and her faith.
The Alzheimer’s Association would like to thank Camilla for being a dedicated and loving caregiver, for her 27 years of civil service and for helping us put an end to Alzheimer’s disease.
To learn more about taking care of yourself while providing care, visit Healthy Caregiver .
To learn more about how you can get involved including becoming an advocate, community educator or other volunteer opportunities, visit alz.org
To honor a caregiver, visit alz.org/honor
Alzheimer's Association 