Two Women Connected by One Cause

Two daughters, many states apart, share one heart for making life better for anyone whose loved ones live with dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Dee Ann Keip remembers her beautiful mother as an active, vibrant, loving and engaging woman. Dolores H. Keip developed Alzheimer’s several years before she went to the Lord.

Dee Ann said, “I look at this photo taken on Mother’s Day several years ago of my mother and my two sisters, Chris and Connie, and my heart floods with love for her. She gave everything to our family, and if I can in turn, give something back to others, we have come full circle. Our mother had wonderful, loving care at The Villa and St. Mary’s. However, the disease changed ‘mum’ and I felt helpless as I saw the progression of it. If only I could understand what my mother was going through, maybe I could ease the burden somehow? When Renee explained a few years ago that there was an opportunity to educate Felician Village staff on dementia through ‘virtual dementia,’ I knew immediately that was where I had to invest,” Dee Ann said. Since 2017, more than 400 people have received dementia training, thanks to the generosity of Dee Ann.
(Pictured above left to right: Connie Keip, Dolores Keip (Mom), Dee Ann Keip & Chris Keip).

Kathy Glaeser is also a daughter whose mother, Helen, lives with dementia. When Virtual Dementia Training was offered at Felician Village, Kathy was one of the first participants. Since then, Kathy has been an advocate for understanding and educating people on dementia and Alzheimer’s. She added, “Although I’ve never met Dee Ann Keip, I am so grateful for her generosity in educating the Felician Village community and beyond. We are sisters in this journey together to end Alzheimer’s.”

Learn more about the Dementia Center of Excellence and how you can make a difference.