Life Before Alzheimer’s San Diego
“Kate Sessions park on a warm summer night is the perfect place to be.”
Heidi Emmenegger is a through and through San Diegan – she grew up in the city and attended UC San Diego, where she graduated magna cum laude with a BS in Social Psychology and a minor in History. She is “especially fascinated by health psychology and the connection between our mind and body,” which she notes is the leading reason for psychology being her major. Heidi also mentions that this education allowed her to grow into the compassionate and thoughtful writer she is now. She first became aware of the organization a decade ago when her grandparents received support for their memory loss journey. Heidi says she always wanted to be part of the team since witnessing the touching work back then, and finally joined us in late 2024.
Writing About the Community
Heidi’s writing experience is about as diverse as one could acquire. She’s worked on pieces varying from medical and technical topics to pop culture articles. Heidi’s role involves donor communications, storytelling, and grant reporting. Her background lends to being able to work on various marketing and grant projects, which is perfect since her favorite type of writing is “a blend of storytelling and persuasive writing.”
Heidi has also found inspiration from experiencing the weekly social activities held on Fridays at our office. “I can hear the music and laughter trickle into my office from the activities room and it always gets me up and out of my chair to check out the festivities,” she explains. These activities are always a reminder to her of the impact that programs are making for the community. Heidi adds that after sitting in on a social activity, she’s often beaming with new ideas to research and include in the next piece she works on.
Heidi’s Perspective
Heidi’s grandmother was the caregiver for Heidi’s grandfather who lived with Alzheimer’s disease. They received support through our organization, and her grandmother specifically benefitted extensively from caregiver support services. Heidi credits the organization for prioritizing her grandmother’s mental health – which she began recognizing the importance of while starting her collegiate studies. This all led to a better support system around her grandfather, which she is deeply appreciative of and hopes more families take advantage of. Years later as she’s now part of the team, she recognizes the passion behind the organization and recommends that “even if you don’t think you need help, reach out to us… Alzheimer’s San Diego can help lessen the caregiving burden.”
Call us at 858.492.4400 to speak with one of our dementia experts, who are here to help San Diego County residents and/or those caring for someone living in San Diego County (Spanish speakers available). Also check out our free education classes, social activities, caregiver support groups, & more.
By Braulio Ambriz
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Posted on March 13, 2025
