Melissa Denham, 39

Occupation: Nurse, Dementia Care Specialist, The Villages Health

What I do: I manage The Villages Health Dementia Care Coordination Program, which I created and piloted in Fall 2017. This program includes meeting families in our community who are dealing with different types and stages of dementia, leading caregiver support/resource groups, leading alumni groups for caregivers and persons living with dementia and collaborating with local resources to better support my patients and their families, assist physicians during meetings with families with dementia

How I got started: I have always been drawn to helping older adults, even back when I was in grade school helping the elders in church. I’ve worked in the medical field since I was 15 and worked in many different specialties, but all have been geared towards geriatrics. I became a nurse and got a job at The Villages Health in 2016. The physician I worked for had many patients with dementia and their caregivers always seemed stressed and almost lost. I asked if I could try and create a program to assist them and was given the green light. I created and piloted my program with three caregivers. That program grew and evolved to today over 1,000 families and it’s now an 11-week program for both the caregiver and the person living with dementia. The program also includes an alumni group that I run that provides families with continued care of ongoing support, resources and groups.

I’m passionate about dementia care because: When I was little, I stayed with my Gramma and Papa during the day when my parents worked. My papa had dementia and Parkinson’s Disease, which at that time I had no clue about, but I did know some days he didn’t seem to know me and had other struggles. I watched my Gramma take care of him. She had to physically lift and transfer him from his chair to the wheelchair and so on. This eventually was something I helped with as I got older. I feel that my Gramma was the strongest woman I’ve ever known. I watched her do everything without ever complaining or hesitating. That stuck with me growing up and is still a part of why I do what I do. I truly enjoy helping people and want to support them in their difficult journeys with this devastating disease.

My biggest professional accomplishment: I think my biggest professional accomplishment is creating a program from scratch that now is available to the community to make their dementia journey a bit easier. Before that, I had never piloted or created anything, so I am very proud of where I started six years ago and where it is today.

When I’m not coordinating care: I enjoy spending time with my husband, Joe, and two boys, Dalton and Ryder. We enjoy fishing, boating, and hunting. We are on the water almost every weekend so that’s a nice mental break for me.

My first job: My very first job was at a local surgery center managing their mail. I would go after school for a few hours every day and open their mail, sort the checks and pass them over to the accounting department.

The best advice I’ve received: The best advice I’ve ever received was to make sure I balance my home and work life. This is sometimes hard for me because I care about my patients so much and want to do everything I can for them, but also understand that I have to take time to mentally reset and recharge so I can continue doing what I do. I also always want to make sure I give my family 100% of me when I’m home.

Fun fact: Many people are surprised to learn that I hunt. I grew up in a hunting family with my dad hunting hogs, and then when I met Joe in high school and we started dating, my hunting experiences took off. My most memorable hunt was in 2022 when I went on a black bear hunt in North Carolina in honor of my dad, who passed away in 2021. That was a hunt he and I had always talked about wanting to do together.

If I had a million dollars to give away: I’d build a local dementia facility that has all of the resources families need during their journey, such as respite care, day programs, caregiver support, safety resources and so much more. It would be a one-stop shop to support those families.

Life after 40: I see myself continuing to grow a similar program and expand my support to more families. I can’t eliminate this terrible disease, but I can help and support those in it day in and day out.