The Alzheimer’s Association has awarded Southold Alzheimer’s advocate Nancy Chandler with its Frank Carlino Award in recognition of her advocacy on behalf of New Yorkers impacted by Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
In 2013, Nancy’s mother was diagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies, a type of progressive dementia that leads to a decline in thinking, reasoning and independent function. She served as her mother’s caregiver, alongside her sister, Judy.
After losing her mother in 2017, she wanted to raise awareness and became a volunteer for the Alzheimer’s Association.
She served as the Yaphank Walk to End Alzheimer’s Executive Event Chair for several years, and spearheaded the North Fork Walk to End Alzheimer’s, now in its third year, at Peconic Landing in Greenport.
“Navigating the complexities of Mom’s care was overwhelming, and it was one of the most challenging things we’d ever done,” Ms. Chandler said at the launch of the first North Fork walk in 2023. “But it also inspired me to become a volunteer. I wanted to help other families and caregivers facing this journey, and channel my sadness into something positive.”
This year’s North Fork Walk will be held September 27 at Peconic Landing in Greenport, beginning at 9 a.m. You can learn more at act.alz.org/nofo.
Ms. Chandler was also instrumental in organizing caregiver support groups in Mattituck and East Hampton.
From 2022 to 2024, Ms. Chandler also served as chair of the Alzheimer’s Association Long Island Chapter Board of Directors. Once her tenure as chair was completed, she expanded her role with the chapter as an Alzheimer’s Advocate in the district of U.S. Representative Nick LaLota (NY-1).
Ms. Chandler recently announced that her husband, John, had been diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment due to Alzheimer’s.
“My advocacy efforts have been a labor of love, so I was surprised and honored to be selected for this award. Our elected representatives need to understand the heartbreak and financial challenge Alzheimer’s and other related dementias have on our families and communities,” said Ms. Chandler in a statement after receiving the award. “I advocate for giving a voice to those living with this awful disease. Our advocacy efforts have made a difference and we can’t stop now.”
The Frank Carlino Award was awarded during the Alzheimer’s Association’s Alzheimer’s Impact Movement Advocacy Forum on June 11 in Washington, D.C.
In the early 2000s, Frank Carlino of Cornwall, Orange County, NY became the face of Alzheimer’s at a time when people with the disease did not speak out about it. He was diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s in his late 50s and shared his experience living with the disease in a variety of public settings – including testimony before Congress in 2000.
His work led to the establishment of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Early Stage Task Force. He lived with Alzheimer’s for many years before his death from lung cancer at age 67.
The Frank Carlino Award celebrates his spirit and is given yearly to recognize an advocate who exemplifies the qualities of dedicated perseverance and creativity that help people with Alzheimer’s and their families.
“We are delighted to present this year’s Carlino Award to Nancy Chandler,” said Douglas Davidson, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association, Long Island Chapter. “Over the years, Nancy has made significant contributions to the Long Island community and is a full-mission volunteer for the Alzheimer’s Association. Thank you for all the work that you do for the Long Island Chapter, as well as representing New Yorkers affected by dementia as an Alzheimer’s Advocate.”
Based in Melville, the Alzheimer’s Association Long Island Chapter serves Nassau and Suffolk Counties. The chapter helps all those facing Alzheimer’s and other dementias by providing support groups and educational resources while advancing crucial research and public policy initiatives. Currently, 426,500 New Yorkers live with Alzheimer’s, and more than 543,000 care for them.
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