Dennis Dulniak, co-founder of Dementia-friendly Dining in Central Florida, credits caregiving for his wife Nancy who passed away from Early Onset Alzheimer’s in January 2021 as his motivation to now help other families facing dementia. Dennis was the loving Care Partner for his wife Nancy who was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s in 2015. Even though Nancy had been placed in a local Memory Care Community, Dennis enjoyed taking her out to local businesses for meals and other treats like ice cream and deserts.

Having learned of other communities that established Dementia-friendly Dining, Dennis teamed with co-founder Toni Gitles, Certified Caregiving Consultant, author of “21 Mistakes of Caregiving and Ways to Avoid Them,” and Educator with Heart of Caregiving and Edith Gendron, Executive Director with the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center to help provide personnel training, scheduling and marketing.

Dennis shares, “There is a definite need to provide accommodations among our unique populations with dementia for creating quality life experiences, and that includes dining out in safe environments where the restaurants offer warmth, friendliness and good cheer.”