When loved ones are diagnosed with degenerative brain diseases, like Alzheimer’s or dementia, it is often challenging for families to cope. However, the right care team and resources can help a family better manage care - for the patient and each other. For Linda Trozzolino, Ph.D., the coordinated care her mother, Concetta, received made all the difference. The compassionate care and support received from Manisha Parulekar, M.D., division chief for Geriatrics and co-director of The Center for Memory Loss and Brain Health at Hackensack University Medical Center, enabled the matriarch to fulfill her wish of staying in her home as she coped with Alzheimer’s disease.

Concetta lived in her Lodi home until she passed away at age 100 in March 2020, having lived with the disease for 20 years. Dr. Trozzolino, an assistant clinical professor of Psychiatry at UCLA, made a generous donation in her mother’s memory to support the work of Dr. Parulekar and the early development of The Center for Memory Loss and Brain Health.

“Dr. Parulekar supported us in every way and was always available if I had a question or concerns,” says Dr. Trozzolino. “She was completely generous with her time.” 

The Center for Memory Loss and Brain Health, which was officially opened in January 2021, provides an innovative and holistic approach, having assembled a team of experts from related fields such as geriatrics, neurology, counseling, social work and speech, and physical and occupational therapy. The Center also offers patients access to clinical trials and cutting-edge therapies and conducts research that may lead to better treatment.

“I really wanted to donate to both support Dr. Parulekar’s work, and to honor my mother, whom I loved and respected, particularly for the quiet courage she displayed during this very difficult illness,” says Dr. Trozzolino. “I very much believe in the mission of the Center. It provides, in one location, the necessary wide array of services and resources to the patient and the families, enabling a better quality of life for both while coping with the illness. I wish the Center was in existence when we needed it!”

As Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month comes to an end, we thank Dr. Trozzolino for her heartwarming and generous gift, and know that it will go far in helping other patients and their loved ones.

Next Steps and Resources

• To learn more about supporting neuroscience or The Center for Memory Loss and Brain Health at Hackensack University Medical Center, contact Richard Knupp, vice president of development, at richard.knupp@hmhn.org, or make a gift today at GiveHMH.org/HUMC and direct your donation to the Center.
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