WEST HARTFORD — Pamela Atwood and Amina Weiland of Hebrew HealthCare’s Dementia Care Services department of Hebrew HealthCare in West Hartford have been named part of the inaugural class of the 2015 Alzheimer’s Association’s Women Champions in the Fight to End Alzheimer’s. Hebrew HealthCare is the only organization in the state of Connecticut with two staff members who were named champions in this inaugural class.

Atwood and Weiland are both Certified Dementia Practitioners and Dementia Capable Care providers; they also have family members who have been diagnosed with dementia. In recognition of their contributions towards the fight against Alzheimer’s disease, they have been asked to join a group of empowered women to launch the first “Champions in the Fight to End Alzheimer’s Women’s Campaign.”

“Both of these women are dedicated to helping individuals and their families affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia,” said Bonnie Gauthier, Hebrew HealthCare president and CEO. “They are compassionate in their care and their expertise in working with people diagnosed with neurocognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Lewy Body and Vascular dementia is unparalleled. We are very proud of this honor and of the work that they do.”

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Connecticut Chapter, news magazine, summer issue 2015, “Every 67 seconds a brain develops Alzheimer’s and two thirds of them belong to women- that’s more than 3.2 million women. And more than 60 percent of caregivers for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia are women.”