10/07/2025
No One Faces Dementia Alone
Michelle Hirsch | SPECIAL TO THE CJN
Article reprinted with permission from Cleveland Jewish News
Susan, whose name has been changed to protect client confidentiality, never expected her family’s world to change so quickly. Around 2020, she began noticing her mom’s memory slipping. What started as small lapses soon grew into something much harder – her mom needed constant care, and her dad was struggling to keep up with the changes. It became clear that her parents could no longer manage on their own.
That’s when Jewish Family Service Association, a Jewish Federation of Cleveland beneficiary agency, stepped in. With their guidance, Susan was able to move her parents into a local assisted living facility where her mom could receive specialized dementia care. A JFSA care navigator now works closely with her mom, ensuring she gets the individualized support she needs. Susan also gets the support she needs as a caregiver through JFSA’s caregiver support group, which provides her with a safe place to share, to be heard and to know she isn’t alone. And for her dad, it brought the reassurance that asking for help in caring for his wife was not only acceptable – it was necessary.
Susan’s story is just one example of the thousands of Jewish Cleveland families touched by dementia and Alzheimer’s. More than 4,000 community members over age 65 are living with these diseases today, and that number is projected to rise by 27% by 2035. Behind the statistics are real people like Susan, her mom and her dad – families facing not only the emotional toll of dementia, but also the staggering financial costs, which exceed $150 million each year in our community alone.
Thanks to your support of our community’s annual Campaign for Jewish Needs, Susan and her family – and the thousands just like them – have access to counseling, wellness programs, caregiver support and a strong community that enables them to live their lives with dignity, comfort and hope.
Because of your generosity, no one in Jewish Cleveland has to face dementia or Alzheimer’s alone.
Make your gift today to Federation’s annual campaign at jewishcleveland.org/donate. The 2026 campaign will conclude on Dec. 8.
Michelle Hirsch is campaign vice chair of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland in Beachwood.
