Board of Directors

I’m Jenni Desserich, the founder and board president of Dignify Dementia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting people living with dementia, their families, and caregivers. As a formally trained public health professional, I founded Dignify Dementia in September 2022, drawing on my personal experience caring for my dad during his journey with Lewy body dementia. As board president, I lead the organization’s programs and partnerships, helping individuals and their care networks stay organized, maintain independence, and reduce caregiver stress. Myr work includes:

Donating Cognitive Wellness Toolkits
Providing caregiver education and support sessions
Building lasting clinical and community partnerships

Through this work, I advance practical, skills-based routines, stronger community connections, and clear communication with healthcare providers. These approaches are designed to improve daily life, reduce preventable medical mistakes, and protect the dignity of people living with dementia.

I retired from GMAC Financial Services after a 38-year career and have a BA in Business. I am blessed to have a wonderful husband, three children and three grandchildren, and a beautiful Golden Retriever named Q.T. After retirement, I've worked in Pastoral Care at my local church and other ministries. While doing this work I observed the lack of understanding, resources and support for people living with dementia. I’m a strong advocate for people with dementia and I want to help do away with the stigma of this condition. Dignify Dementia is dedicated to helping educate people about dementia, support those caring for their loved ones with dementia and provide tools and resources to those living with dementia. It takes a “village” to support, care and provide resources for people living with dementia

I am honored to join the Dignify Dementia Board of Directors as Secretary in the Fall of 2023. I spent more than a decade as a member of the "sandwich generation", managing my mother's care while also raising my two elementary-school-age daughters. Arlene (my mom) initially moved into an assisted living community in Florida but eventually moved to a sister community in Colorado, where she was safe and supported in her day-to-day life. By 2014, my mom moved to a memory care community where she eventually passed away in her sleep in the place she called home for almost two years. Having learned a lot about senior living, I decided to volunteer at the Alzheimer's Association telephone hotline where I learned even more. I re-entered full-time employment as a leasing advisor in a stand-alone memory care community, and then two different assisted living/memory care communities. Today, I am the Hospice Area Manager for Enhabit Home Health & Hospice, where I continue working to pursue my passion for helping families make informed decisions about their loved one's care.

My first experience with dementia was helping to care for my grandma in 2012. It was a disease unlike anything I had seen, and though I didn’t know it then, it would have a profound effect on my future. As my grandma’s condition deteriorated, I realized that dementia is both a physical and emotional fight, not only for the person suffering from dementia, but also for the caregivers and other loved ones. Ever since that realization, it has been a passion of mine to do what I can to help those living with dementia, as well as their caregivers. I have pursued this passion in both my education and in my career. I earned a degree in Gerontology, a certification in skilled nursing, as well as a certificate in EKG technology. Professionally, I have worked as a certified caregiver, an EKG technician at a Level I Trauma Center, and now I have truly found my passion as family service counselor in the funeral industry. Each one of these positions has afforded me the opportunity to advocate for people with dementia for which, I’m truly grateful. It is such an honor to be on the board of directors for Dignify Dementia, and continue to serve my community in such an impactful organization.