Our Vision
Dementia-Awareness is a platform designed to provide certified and licensed resources to help individuals understand and manage varying levels of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia. Our goal is work towards destigmatizing the term “dementia” and providing a safe space for individuals and caregivers.
Meet our Team
Michael Perriccio, Founder
Michael has over 30 years of health care experience in a variety of different sectors. He has worked with a number of start-ups and is the the Founder of C3 HealthcareRx, Inc. and Co-Founded Mindhealthy, Inc. Michael’s experience in working with mental health patients in both companies drove his passion to start Dementia-Awareness.Org. Michael Perriccio is originally from the Washington, DC metro area and attended James Madison University, graduating with degrees in Management Information Systems and Business Administration.
Michael Perriccio is originally from the Washington, DC metro area and attended James Madison University and graduated with degrees in Management Information Systems and Business Administration.
Michael began his professional career with Marriott, as part of a new generation of system analysts with Management Information Systems background. Michael was promoted as one of the first Regional Managers helping to create the Marriott Healthcare Division. Michael helped expand the Healthcare Division business model nationally to include Continuing Care Retirement Communities, Nursing Facilities and Alzheimer’s communities.
Following a successful career with Marriott, Michael joined Southern Assisted Living Inc., a start-up assisted living company based out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. As Vice President, Michael helped grow the company to over 30 facilities through both organic growth and acquisition. The company was eventually acquired by a private equity firm for over $80 Million. During this time, Michael also served on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Assisted Living Association.
After 20 years in the healthcare industry, Michael decided to go out on his own and founded C3HealthcareRx, a healthcare services company built around managing patients with multiple chronic diseases. During his tenure as CEO, Michael grew the company nationally while gaining contracts with multiple health systems, Accountable Care Organizations, and payors such as AETNA and United Healthcare. As Founder and CEO, Michael orchestrated three acquisitions, bringing in a home health company, a mental healthcare company, and a tele-health company, to create a multi-faceted national healthcare organization that included closed-door pharmacies in Virginia, California and North Carolina.
Continuing with his entrepreneurial spirit, Michael co-founded MindHealthy to address challenges he saw in the mental health space. MindHealthy is a mental health-technology company designed to provide baseline mental health assessments and collaborative care for primary care providers, Accountable Care Organizations, and payors. Michael helped MindHealthy grow nationally, and the company was acquired less than two years later.
Michael currently resides in Raleigh, NC.
Connie Graham
Connie Graham has over 22 years in healthcare serving seniors in different capacities. She has worked with larger organizations such as Sunrise Assisted Living and Brookdale Senior Living as well as privately owned senior communities. She also started her own home health company caring for patients suffering from Alzheimer’s. Connie has accumulated a wide variety of experience from Marketing to Director of care for Alzheimer and dementia patients. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Aquinas College in 1989. She then went on to earn her Master’s degree at Miami University in Gerontological Studies in 1993.
Connie Graham is originally from Michigan and received her Bachelor’s degree from Aquinas College in 1989. She then went on to earn her Master’s degree at Miami University in Gerontological Studies in 1993. She has over 22 years in the field of gerontology and serving seniors in different capacities. She started her career at Clark Retirement Community in Grand Rapids as the Director of Activities.
Connie then helped open up the Sunrise Retirement Community in Raleigh, NC as the Director of Special Care, assisting patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s issues. She then worked with Brookdale Senior Living and helped develop training programs around dementia and Alzheimer’s for new employees.
Connie started her own company in 2007 that focused on providing home health care services for homebound patients who suffered from Alzheimer’s. In 2012, Connie was hired by Sunset Senior Communities and has served as Life Enrichment Director, planning activities, educational events, and entertainment for both independent residents and assisted living residents.
With her success as Director of Memory care, she was promoted to Executive Coordinator, SAIDO Chief Lead Supporter that offers services to independent living, assisted living and memory care patients. She works alongside the Board of Directors to roll out the SAIDO program which is a non-pharmacological intervention program proven to improve the symptoms of memory loss among older adults with dementia.
Connie currently resides in Grandville, Michigan.
Mabel Gonzalez
Mabel acquired her law degree and worked in corporate mergers and acquisitions for 17 years before shifting her career to healthcare. She was a healthcare consultant before opening her own company helping organizations with licensing and compliance. She has seen first-hand in her own family the issues of dementia and cognitive impairment. Mabel assists Dementia-Awareness.Org with organizational legal guidance and compliance.
Having worked in corporate mergers and acquisitions for seventeen years and acquired a doctorate in law from Nova Southeastern University, Mabel found herself at a crossroads in my life. She made the decision to shift my career path into healthcare where she opened my own healthcare consulting company and has been a healthcare consultant for the last eighteen years.
She has worked with everything from small single-site facilities to large franchise organizations to assist them with licensing, accreditation, and compliance. In both her professional and personal life, she has come across the effects of many diseases affecting patients, dementia being one of them. Dementia is a devastating disease, and it is difficult for both the patient and family members to deal with those afflicted by its symptoms.
Having dealt with a grandfather with dementia and currently dealing with a father with dementia, she has come to find out that acceptance is the most difficult step. Education could play a key role in helping family members learn to communicate with patients and improve their quality of life. This is why she is honored that my background has brought me to where she could be a part of an organization such as this.
Our minds are stronger when we work together.
Your support will help improve the lives of individuals facing varying types of cognitive impairment, their loved ones and the professional caregivers who aid them.
Dementia-Awareness.org is not a cure for Alzheimer’s, Dementia, MCI or any other disease or behavioral disorders.
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Dementia-Awareness.org is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.