The Memory Meatballs

08/31/2026

It’s never too late to take charge of your brain health. By starting these 10 Healthy Habits for Your Brain today, you can lower the risk of developing cognitive decline and dementia: alz.org/healthyhabits.

08/30/2026

‘Dementia isn't just ‘forgetting things’ - it’s so much more than that.’

We asked you, what’s the one thing you wish everyone knew about dementia?

Here’s what you told us:

‘It’s not just ‘getting old’ it’s a disease.’

‘It affects everyone around that person immensely, not the person alone.’

‘Losing a loved one while they are still here isn’t something that gets easier with time.’

‘How hard it is to be the partner of someone with dementia, especially when you’re young.’

‘It can be violent. even the nicest of people. Mostly out of fear, which is heart-breaking.'

‘There can still be joy in every day'

If there’s something you wish the world knew about dementia, share it in the comments.

08/30/2026

Hey Meatballs! These pictures hit my heart a little differently now. 💚 Long post ahead!

Seeing my dad with his grandkids, and Laura’s dad with his, makes me think about how incredibly precious the relationship between a grandparent and grandchild really is.

When you’re in the middle of those moments, you don’t think about how temporary they are. You don’t think about how one day you’ll look at a picture and wish you could go back to that exact moment. You just think, this is my dad with my kids.

But now my dad is gone.

And one of the things that hurts the most is knowing my kids grew up without getting all the years they should have had with their grandpa. They should have had more birthdays. More holidays. More hugs. More silly jokes. More pictures. More stories they would eventually be old enough to truly appreciate.

Alzheimer’s didn’t just take my dad’s memories. It took pieces of him while he was still here. And it took time from our family that we can never get back.

That’s a kind of grief that’s really hard to explain unless you’ve lived it.

So if you still have your grandparents, please make the time. Let your kids spend time with them. Take the pictures. Record their voices. Let them tell the same stories over and over. Let your kids know where they came from. Because those ordinary little moments become the moments you would give anything to have back. And that’s why I will continue to talk about Alzheimer’s and dementia. Not because it’s easy, but because it matters. There are too many families watching someone they love disappear piece by piece. Too many grandparents missing out on years with their grandchildren. Too many children growing up with memories that should have been so much bigger.

We need more research. We need better treatments. And we desperately need a cure. If you’re able, please consider donating to the Alzheimer’s Association. Even a small donation helps support research, education, care, and families who are living through this devastating disease. And our Alzheimer’s Walk is coming up in October. We would love for you to join us, donate, share our team, or simply help us spread the word.

I walk for my dad. I walk for Laura’s dad. I walk for my kids, who deserved more time with their grandpa. I walk for every family who has had to watch Alzheimer’s steal someone they love. And I walk because I don’t want the next generation of grandparents and grandchildren to lose the time that we can’t get back. For my dad. For Laura’s dad. For their grandkids. For all the memories we wish we had more of. And for the hope that someday, another family won’t have to say goodbye to pieces of someone they love long before they’re actually gone.

https://alzm.org/jkdz9

08/28/2026

Don’t want to donate or can’t? That’s ok! If you live close to the Harrisburg area, join our team and come walk with us!! 💚 Information about the October walk in the link!

The Walk to End Alzheimer's is the world's largest event to fight Alzheimer's. Join now and help raise awareness and funds for care, support and research.

08/28/2026

Hey guys! 💚

This year has been a super busy one for us Meatballs! We haven’t been able to fundraise nearly as much as we did last year, but we’re hoping 2027 brings lots of exciting things our way!

Laura has been busy with life and helping her family adjust to and navigate the world of having a family member with dementia. She has been an amazing advocate and caregiver for her dad, Joe. That, as many caregivers know, is a full-time job in itself. ❤️

Roxie has had quite a few things going on this year that have kept her busy too. Terry, her dad, would’ve loved to hear that she is now officially and legally divorced. 😂 That alone was a long, but much-needed, side quest in life that took up a large chunk of time!

So, while we haven’t been as active as we’d hoped, we’re still here, and we’re still incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported us over the years.

If you’d like to donate, any amount helps! Please click the link below. 💚

We love you all and thank you so much for every donation you’ve made this year and throughout all the years we’ve been raising money for this organization. We truly hope that one day our efforts will help fight, and ultimately cure, this awful and heartbreaking disease.

Have the best day, Meatballs! 💚

https://alzm.org/jkdz9

08/09/2026

Should you lie to someone with dementia?

Questions like “Where’s my mum?” or “When am I going home?” can be challenging and emotional for families and carers. Dementia can affect how a person experiences time and reality, so what feels true to them in that moment may be very different from what we know to be true.

Rather than focusing on being right, it can help to focus on the feelings behind the question. Offering reassurance, comfort and understanding can often be more important than correcting facts. This could look like:

- "No, your mum isn't coming. She died years ago." Vs "You seem to be thinking about your mum today. What was she like?"

- "Nobody has stolen your handbag." Vs "That sounds worrying. Let's see if we can find it together."

- "You're retired. You don't need to go to work." Vs "You always worked hard. What did you enjoy most about your job?"

Every situation is different, and there is no right or wrong way to respond to difficult questions.

If you're supporting someone living with dementia, remember to be kind to yourself too – caring can be rewarding, but it can also be incredibly challenging.

[Image description: A light blue infographic with text centred in a white circle that reads “What to do when someone with dementia asks a difficult question”. Surrounding this are four separate points that read: Acknowledge feelings (validate how they feel, even if the facts aren’t as they believe); offer comfort and reassurance (a kind response can help reduce anxiety and distress); listen to what they're really saying (it may be a need for reassurance, comfort or connection); and gently redirect if needed (change the focus to something positive or enjoyable). Each point is illustrated with an icon, such as a heart, an ear, a person hugging, and arrows.]

08/09/2026

Poem from Careyaya.org about losing someone to dementia. Today we celebrate and remember Terry Care who we lost two years ago today. We walk for you and everyone affected by this awful disease every year. Gone but never forgotten.

The Long Goodbye

I watch you fade like evening light,

Your memories settling like dust,

Each day another gentle drift

Away from all you were, and us.

You ask me who I am again,

Though I've been here since morning's start.

Your eyes, once bright with recognition,

Now search mine like a stranger's heart.

The photos on your dresser tell

Of birthdays, weddings, summer days—

You touch them with uncertain fingers,

Lost within their gilded frames.

The stories that you used to tell,

Of childhood farms and wartime fears,

Now scatter like autumn leaves,

Carried off by passing years.

Some days you're here, completely present,

A flash of who you used to be,

But like the sun behind storm clouds,

These moments slip away at sea.

They call this loss a long goodbye,

But no farewell should take such time—

To watch you vanish piece by piece,

While standing firmly in my line.

I hold your hand, still warm and real,

Though you've forgotten why I'm here.

Love doesn't need a memory

To keep its presence crystal clear.

So I will be your memory now,

The keeper of our shared divide,

And love you through this fading light

Until the final long goodbye.

08/09/2026

With Walk to End Alzheimer’s – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉

08/05/2026

We haven’t done much fundraising this year and plan on doing more next year! If you haven’t already, donate to this wonderful organization and also thank you to all who have donated and supported us this year! We love you!!

- The Memory Meatballs Gals

https://alzm.org/hv1fo

08/05/2026

Walk to End Alzheimer’s - We walk for our dads (Joe and Terry) 🇮🇹