Mary Donnelly is a professional dementia consultant and a former caregiver for her mother.  A past Board President for MemoryCare, Mary was a founding member of the MemoryCaregivers Network and became the Network Coordinator.  In addition to running a peer caregiver support group for MemoryCare, she writes and edits a bi-monthly e-newsletter, Caregiver Network News, and is part of the teaching staff for our Caregiver College.

Apart from her work at MemoryCare, Mary has a private business (understandingdementiacare.com), is on the staff of national dementia expert Teepa Snow and is also a certified Validation Practitioner. Mary serves on the Steering Team of Dementia Friendly Western North Carolina, a grassroots organization promoting dementia awareness and education. Through that business, she is available for hire to co-facilitate other area support groups, provide family consulting and on-site staff dementia training for long-term care facilities, and is in demand to speak on dementia-related issues across the country.

When she’s not working, Mary can often be found on a hiking trail in the Blue Ridge Mountains, or when weather permits, on cross-country skis.  Mary lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with her crooner husband Tom and their celebrity dog Sammy.

To contact Mary about the MemoryCaregivers Network, please email her at network@memorycare.org. To contact her about her private speaking and consulting work, please email her at  mary@understandingdementiacare.com.