GRAND Magazine - November/December 2018 Subscribe Today! - 32

it's never 2 late
my usual mix of sarcasm and banter,
and we hit it off instantly. I told bad
jokes, gave him some grief about his
clothes--we were just two guys joking
together. And we both think we're a
lot funnier than we really are!
I'm usually not one for reflection,
but that night it hit me that there
are millions of people out there like
me, thinking of dementia in the most
negatively stereotyped way possible.
Virtually every story you read or see,
often in a fund-raising context, focuses
on the helpless, painful images of the
disease, and the sense of hopelessness
that comes with it. That is absolutely a
huge part of the reality, I do not want
to diminish that at all, but it's not the
WHOLE story. So our iN2L (It's Never
2 Late) team and I decided to put
together a video showcasing these
guys still living. No pity, no looking for
donations, nothing negative, just showing people living their lives to the fullest--hence a weekend of mayhem!

"Nothing about this is
intended to sugarcoat how
devastating it can be for the
individuals living with the
disease..."
32 GRAND

NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2018

A wonderful dinner party.

It was a zest-filled weekend in and around Denver, we were
the Traveling Wilburys with cameraman in tow. There were some
times when the disease would come alive for our stars, but they
were revived through companionship and engagement. We visited tourist spots, had a robust day at the iN2L headquarters,
which I head up, talking technology and dementia--and frankly,
just had a hell of a good time.
Though the video will have a fun vibe, we do not mean to take
anything away from the ravages of the disease as it progresses.
Nothing about this is intended to sugarcoat how devastating it
can be for the individuals living with the disease, for their families, and for their caregivers. The reality of dementia is brutal. But

there is a perspective to be had in between
these two extremes, and if our video errs
a bit on the positive side, so be it. There is
plenty of fodder out there focusing exclusively on the negative.
Who knows how the video will turn out?
Our intention is to release it at the Dementia
Action Alliance conference in Atlanta this
summer. Maybe thousands of people will
see it, maybe just a few hundred. But the
journey for me is all worth it, whatever happens, since just getting to meet Brian, Mike,
and the unsung hero, Mike's wife Cheryl,
was worth the ride itself.
I don't want to project my revelation on
someone else, but why not give it a shot?
The next time you find out someone you
know has been diagnosed with dementia, just be real with them (as Brian taught
me). Ask questions, listen, don't pity them,
just treat them as you would have the day
before when you didn't know they had the
disease. It's never too late to challenge your
own stereotypes and perceptions!

Jack York is more than the president and founder
of Its Never 2 Late, a highly successful technology
company serving thousands of elder citizens and
the communities who provide their care; Jack is a
man on a mission to help spread the words and
deeds of real humanitarians that inspire, educate
and motivate.

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