Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Warnick.
Hi Kim, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My journey to founding Dementia Care Solutions of East Tennessee and just recently a non-profit, Mind and Memory Partners began long before I ever imagined working in the dementia community.
For more than 20 years, I built a career in Human Resources, helping people navigate challenges, transitions, and life-changing decisions. At the same time, Alzheimer’s disease was impacting my family. For over 30 years, I witnessed the realities of memory loss and caregiving through the experiences of loved ones. Those experiences taught me firsthand how overwhelming, isolating, and confusing the journey can be for families.
When I lost my mother in 2019, I was physically and emotionally destroyed. That experience deepened my understanding of the emotional and practical challenges families face every day. It was during that time that I felt a calling to use my professional skills and personal experience to support others navigating similar circumstances.
That calling led me to create Dementia Care Solutions, where I began helping families find resources, education, and support. As the need continued to grow, I established Mind and Memory Partners, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that individuals living with brain changes and their care partners have access to meaningful programs, education, support, and community.
Today, my mission is simple: to make sure no family faces the dementia journey alone.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Building Dementia Care Solutions and now Mind and Memory Partners has been one of the most rewarding and challenging journeys of my life.
When I first started in 2020, I entered an industry where I had passion and lived experience, but very few professional connections. After spending more than 20 years in Human Resources, I had to learn how to build a business from the ground up, navigate an entirely new field, establish credibility, and create partnerships within a community that did not yet know me or the work I hoped to accomplish.
One of the greatest challenges has been financial. From the beginning, I struggled with the reality that many families affected by dementia are already carrying significant emotional and financial burdens. I never wanted cost to be the reason someone could not access support, education, or connection. As a result, I often invested my own resources to develop programs, provide services, and create opportunities for families who otherwise might go without.
Much of that investment came from savings that had been entrusted to me by my hardworking parents—funds intended to help secure my own future care and support my children. There were many restless nights and lots of tears. I often questioned whether I could continue, but each time I saw a caregiver find hope, a family feel less alone, or a person living with dementia experience joy and connection, I knew the work mattered.
Today, as I build Mind and Memory Partners, the challenges continue. Establishing a nonprofit requires learning new systems, building community support, raising funds, and creating sustainable programs. Yet the mission remains the same: ensuring that families navigating cognitive change have access to the resources, education, and community they deserve.
We’ve been impressed with Dementia Care Solutions of East Tennessee/Mind and Memory Partners, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are a community-based nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the lives of people living with brain changes and their care partners. We strive to also foster greater community understanding of brain health, dementia prevention, and early detection. The organization was established to expand and sustain programs originally developed through Dementia Care Solutions of East Tennessee, which provides personalized dementia care navigation, education and cognitive wellness programs.
One program I am especially proud of is Brain Boosters, a unique cognitive exercise class that combines brain engagement with social connection. It one of the very few programs in our region designed to help older adults stay mentally active while building meaningful relationships. We believe in the power of “Use It or Lose It” and creating opportunities for people to exercise both their minds and their social connections.
As the need for support services grew, Mind and Memory Partners was created to ensure that programs such as Memory Café, Caregiver Lunch and Learns and other social engagement opportunities could reach more families and remain accessible regardless of financial circumstances.
What sets us apart is our focus on supporting both the caregiver and the person living with brain changes. As dementia progresses, many families become isolated and lose opportunities for meaningful social interaction. Caregivers wanted activities they could enjoy alongside their loved ones. In response, we created a Memory Cafe and dementia-friendly community outings where families can connect with others on a similar journey, reduce isolation, and build lasting friendships.
We are especially proud to be launching East Tennessee’s first Memory Café network, creating welcoming community spaces where individuals living with dementia and their care partners can gather, connect, and find joy.
I am also excited to share that we will soon launch a caregiver respite fund and recognition program.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dementiasolutionstn.com
