Compass Communications

One family’s journey with Alzheimer’s,
and a community’s steps toward hope

By Niki King

Kara Hawk remembers well when her mother’s cognition seemed to take a turn.

About eight years ago, Louise Grabeel, now 86, headed out from her home in Somerset to drive to her hairdresser’s. Though she’d taken the route many times, she got lost and ended up in another county. She saw a doctor soon after and received a diagnosis: Alzheimer’s disease. 

Since then, fighting Alzheimer’s and supporting those living with it has come to shape Hawk’s personal life, as well as her professional one. While juggling caretaking duties for her mother, she also serves as the manager for Lake Cumberland’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Both jobs are labors of love that inform and inspire each other.  

“I am truly aligned to the cause,” Hawk said. “I am living with the fallout of this disease on the daily.”

A New Era of Hope

When Hawk first heard the diagnosis, she worried her family wouldn’t have much time with her mom before her memory sharply diminished. 

“But it’s been a slow decline, and I feel fortunate about that,” she said. “She still recognizes me.” 

True to what research suggests, Hawk’s mother first started showing signs of dementia —small slips in memory and behavior — about 20 years before significant symptoms emerged. 

Hawk is sad that her mother’s disease has progressed too far to benefit from recently released anti-amyloid drug therapies. These treatments, while not a cure, can slow the progression of the disease in the early stages, underscoring the importance of early detection.

“These breakthroughs do give me so much hope,” Hawk said. “It is so important to press on while we’re making such great strides. There has been breakthrough research that is going to change lives.”  

Team Grabeel

Hawk’s father, J.W. Grabeel, first signed their family up as a team in the Lake Cumberland Walk four years ago.  

“I was involved before I was employed,” Hawk said. 

She loved participating, seeing firsthand the resources the Alzheimer’s Association provides for caregivers, along with the chance to connect with so many affected. 

“The walk is so much like the biggest support group of the year,” Hawk said. “Everyone is there together, in community, encouraging you. You see people you saw last year, they’re smiling, they’re still persevering. It’s a good feeling.” 

The walk gives her and her siblings a way to honor their mother. They like knowing their contributions go to research that could help them someday if they were to inherit the disease.   

“A cure is what I’m fighting for, as a professional and a team captain,” Hawk said. 

Being involved was such a positive experience, when a job opened almost two years ago to manage the walk and fundraising efforts in Somerset, London and Elizabethtown, she jumped at the chance. 

The position allows her flexibility to work while helping her dad care for her mom. And, she gets to be a full-time advocate for the cause. She speaks throughout the region, educating people about the steps they can take to care for their brain health and the warning signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s.  

“The opportunity is there for us for risk mitigation, awareness and breaking down the stigma,” Hawk said. “Everywhere I go, I’m an ambassador. People need to know this stuff.”

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Niki Kind is the Public Relations Manager  for the Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Kentucky & Southern Indiana. For more information,
visit alz.org/kyinwalk

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Lake Cumberland Walk to End Alzheimer’s

Gates open at 2 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Judicial Center Plaza downtown. The goal is to raise $75,000 to further the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association. Register now at act.alz.org/lakecumberland. 

Learn more: Walk kickoff event is 5:30 p.m. June 26 at the Courtyard by Marriott Somerset. There’ll be prizes, activities and food.

Somerset Caregiver Support Group: Meets 6-7 p.m. the second Monday every month at the Cumberland Church of Christ in Somerset. Register by calling the 24-Hour Helpline at 1-800-272-3900. Walk-ins welcome.

William Hunt, Director of Community Development for the City of Somerset, is the 2025 Walk Executive Event Chair.

“Our family experienced the pain and sadness of this disease when our sweet Mamaw was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s,” Hunt said. “Watching someone you love experience changes in behavior, personality, language, movement, memory and more is challenging when you want to help heal them but cannot. It was also equally difficult to see the pain experienced by her primary caregiver. This is why I am grateful for the opportunity to assist with the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Not only is this event raising funds to continue research to find a cure, but it also provides resources and support to caregivers.”

Ten early warning signs

Memory loss that disrupts daily life may be a symptom of Alzheimer’s or other dementia. Alzheimer’s is a brain disease that causes a slow decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills. There are 10 warning signs and symptoms. If you notice any of them, don’t ignore them. Schedule an appointment with your doctor.

• Memory loss that disrupts daily life
• Challenges in planning or solving problems
• Difficulty completing familiar tasks
• Confusion with time or place
• Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
• New problems with words in speaking or writing
• Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
• Decreased or poor judgment
• Withdrawal from work or social activities
• Changes in mood and personality

Get checked. Early detection matters. If you notice any of the 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s in yourself or someone you know, don’t ignore them. Schedule an appointment with your doctor.

With early detection, you can explore treatments that may provide some relief of symptoms and help you maintain a level of independence longer

Visit https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/10_signs for more information. 

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