Caregiving has been a part of her life since childhood. At eight, Lynn Ross helped her parents care for her younger sister, who was born with a rare intestinal condition. She learned, at an early age, the importance of providing an environment of empathy for those needing help coping with a difficult situation. Not only for her sister but for her parents, as well.

In contrast to joining a helping profession, Lynn decided to pursue a different course for her career. Still, after years of working in retail selling cookies and crackers for Nabisco to a buyer of ladies’ ready-to-wear for a well-known clothing chain, she realized her heart was not satisfied.

In 1994, when offered the job of an Activity Director in a 99-bed nursing home, she thought this would be an excellent outlet for her creative side. She accepted the position, not knowing anything about what the work entailed. She fell in love with the residents and realized she needed a better understanding of dementia, not only from the resident’s perspective but also for the families. Around this time, her mother was diagnosed with vascular dementia, so learning more took on a personal objective.

Fast forward a few years, and by 2002, Lynn had been the primary care partner for her father, spouse, and mother, and for a brief time, her grandmother, who was living with Alzheimer’s dementia. Dealing with hospitals, assisted living communities, in-home care, and hospice care gave her insight into the barriers other families face. Through this experience dealing with the healthcare system, she learned how much help other families would need to navigate and receive the services they and their loved ones deserved.

After receiving her MSW from Valdosta State University in 2001, Lynn moved to Atlanta to work in the aging field. From her caregiving experience, as well as working as the director of an Alzheimer’s Day program, a geriatric care manager with a local elder attorney, and as a medical social worker for ten years, Lynn brings a wealth of knowledge to the Dementia Spotlight Foundation. She retired from the Department of Neurology Movement Disorders program at Emory University in 2017. In this position, she provided information and education to people and their families living with Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and several other neurological conditions involving movement. This work was done through counseling in the clinic, facilitating support groups, and coordinating educational meetings. A large part of her work included assessing needs and using her knowledge of the services and programs in the metro Atlanta area to connect families to the agencies that could meet these needs.

Lynn has found it hard to retire. She has two part-time jobs and has volunteered with several organizations serving those living with dementia in Georgia. Lynn serves on the Advisory Councils for Culture Change of GA and Georgia Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias (GARD) State Plan. With GARD, she is an Outreach & Partnership Workgroup member and serves on the Advisory Council representing Georgians living with dementia. By the way, she was diagnosed in 2018 with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Her younger sister lives in California and enjoys good health.