Ten years after it first opened its doors out of a founder’s family living room, the Dominica Dementia Foundation (DDF) is celebrating a decade of unwavering support for people living with dementia, their loved ones, and their professional and informal caregivers across the Caribbean island nation.
Founded in 2016 by 18-year-old Rianna Patterson, the organization was launched as a living tribute to Patterson’s grandfather, Terry Vidal. Just one month after its formal establishment, the young founder was already invited to participate in a landmark Caribbean regional dementia consensus conference in Miami, convened by Dr. Jessurun, president of the Sint Maarten Alzheimer Foundation and Caribbean regional representative for Alzheimer’s Disease International, setting the tone for the foundation’s rapid, impact-driven growth.
Reflecting on the milestone anniversary in an official press release, Patterson shared deep pride in the organization’s 10-year trajectory and gratitude for the collaborators and volunteers who turned a small personal initiative into a leading regional voice for dementia care. “I am proud of all we have accomplished over the past decade and deeply grateful for every helping hand that has shaped the Foundation’s success,” she said, recalling the organization’s humble origins in her family’s home space.
Patterson’s trailblazing work has earned widespread international recognition: In 2017, just one year after founding DDF, she received the Queen’s Young Leaders Award from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. She was featured by the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States’ YES in Action initiative in 2023, took home the Caribbean Global Award in 2024, and is set to be honored this September among the Most Influential People of African Descent during a ceremony in New York. Her global advocacy has also included an invitation from Rwanda’s Ministry of Youth to address delegates at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Kigali.
DDF President Veronne Nicholas outlined the breadth of the foundation’s on-the-ground work, delivered through strategic partnerships with local and regional organizations including PHARCS, Lifeline Ministries, the RayAsta Foundation, and Optimum Care Facility. Key initiatives over the past decade have included community-focused dementia-friendly public events, targeted training workshops for caregivers, need-based scholarships for care workers, professional care training programs, and ongoing psychosocial support for affected families.
One of the foundation’s earliest high-impact interventions came in the wake of 2017’s devastating Hurricane Maria, when Patterson made a direct appeal to Queen Elizabeth II to support care homes damaged by the storm. The request was fulfilled through the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, delivering critical aid to facilities struggling to continue caring for dementia patients in the disaster’s aftermath.
Over the years, DDF has expanded its programming steadily: It launched Dominica’s first-ever Dementia Friends Programme in 2018, established a national dementia support network in 2020, hosted Commonwealth Youth Academy seminars in 2023, successfully advocated for the inclusion of dementia data collection in Dominica’s national census, launched a sustainable cacao tea community initiative, opened the country’s first dementia-friendly café in 2025, and introduced an annual community outreach event called the Walk and Lime in 2024. The foundation has also built formal collaborative ties with Alzheimer’s advocacy organizations in Puerto Rico and Curaçao, strengthening regional coordination on dementia care.
At the policy level, DDF has been a leading voice for systemic change since its earliest days: Just months after its founding in 2016, the organization served on the Dominican Ministry of Health’s national dementia plan steering committee and formally recommended that dementia be integrated into the country’s National Policy on Ageing. Its roster of institutional partners also includes the Dominica Council of Women, CommonAge, the Dominica Council on Ageing, and Dominica State College, among others. Youth-focused outreach has included a 2019 Student Ambassador Programme with the country’s state college, widespread school engagement across the island, a 2018 awareness march at Roosevelt Douglas Primary School, support for former Miss Dominica Jade Romain’s 2017 mental health advocacy platform, a 2022 public policy panel with JCI Dominica, and ongoing caregiver training through the RayAsta Foundation.
Keisha Antoine, a founding board member of DDF, said her more than 10 years as a volunteer with the organization has been a deeply fulfilling experience, reinforcing her commitment to public service and meeting the underserved needs of older adults across Dominica.
A core part of DDF’s mission has been destigmatizing dementia, a progressive neurological condition that impacts memory, communication, problem-solving skills, and behavior in unique ways for every patient. The foundation notes that its decade of awareness work has already helped reduce the culture of silence and social stigma that once prevented many families from seeking support, while emphasizing that all people living with dementia deserve individualized, person-centered, respectful care.
Looking ahead, Nicholas stressed that the growing regional burden of dementia demands urgent, coordinated action. Current public health projections show that dementia cases across Latin America and the Caribbean will jump from 6.9 million in 2020 to nearly 10 million by 2030, and surge to more than 19 million by 2050. Prevalence of the condition rises sharply with age: it affects an estimated 2.5% of people aged 60 to 69, 9.4% of those aged 70 to 79, and nearly 29% of all people aged 80 and older.
“Statistics are sobering,” Nicholas said, emphasizing that governments and communities must prioritize strengthening regional healthcare systems, expanding support for overburdened caregivers, addressing the significant economic impact of dementia, and better preparing local communities to meet growing need.
For Patterson, the work remains as urgent and meaningful as it was 10 years ago. “Ten years later, our commitment remains stronger than ever. Serving this mission has been the greatest honor and joy of my life to see the difference it has made in the lives of people with dementia and carers in Dominica,” she said. “I thank God for giving me this vision and for bringing together people with a heart to serve.”
To mark both the foundation’s 10th anniversary and World Alzheimer’s Month, the Office of the President of Dominica will be illuminated in awareness colors from September 17 to 21, 2026. As DDF enters its second decade of service, the organization is calling for interested community members to apply to join its Board of Directors, with expressions of interest accepted via email at dominicadementiafoundation@gmail.com.