Officially known as The McClendon Foundation for Alzheimer's Support and Pharmaceutical Support, we are designed to help eradicate this deadly disease by promoting awareness to and also contributing to funds to assist in developing new and AFFORDABLE medications, family / direct caregivers support groups, and mental health and wellness awareness. The McClendon Foundation was initiated by the McCle
ndon Family of Richmond, Virginia after becoming caregivers to the patriarch of our family, Moses C. After some years of hiding it by him, denial by our family, and slow diagnosis by doctors, we had to deal with the grim reality of this disease, how it operates, and how we, as a family, needed to come together to help. Through our journey, we realized a few different things.
1. This disease affects different people in many different ways.
2. We did not have the ability to give all the care we needed to give in our own home, but
3. The resources to gain assistance were few and far between. Our particular problem, as is the same as thousands of others, there was a "hole" of services that we fell into. That hole is one in which he made too much money to qualify for the services that we needed to qualify for to best help him, but not nearly enough to pay for this type of assistance out of pocket. What it leaves a person or family with is the grim reality that we will stay at home and watch your loved one slowly but surely deteriorate over time. The better the persons general health and physical condition is, the longer their life may be. In our situation, our father was in fairly good physical shape. His gym membership and constant need to work around the home kept him this way. He had an extremely high IQ and was able to mask many of the tell-tale signs of Alzheimer's (even to some of the doctors) and was also able to use his verbal tone and conversation to disguise the reality of him slowly losing his memory. As direct caregivers, this was the most challenging as we had little knowledge or access to support groups, information on medications and alternatives, and other types of therapy. Part of The McClendon Foundation is to bring some awareness to the Family Support lines and assistance for direct caregivers. This is the awareness initiatives that is necessary to assist the family in this time of serious need. We will also pledge our support to the National Alzheimer's Association and affiliations with the local branches to raise monies directed to the pharmaceutical research necessary to develop medication, innovative treatments, pre and post care, to one day help eliminate the need for another family to endure the loss of a family member to a cruel disease that robs a person of their most treasured memories.
