A new day facility for Alzheimer’s patients has opened on Long Island, providing essential support for families.
Located in Amityville, the Barbara Rabinowitz Education & Resource Center offers specialized rooms designed to help families learn how to travel with their affected loved ones. These include actual LIRR train seats and airplane configurations.
This center aims to assist the families of the roughly 60,000 people on Long Island facing dementia. It teaches them to better navigate their circumstances, promoting a more peaceful environment for both the patients and their caregivers. Additionally, the center conducts regular memory screenings.
“I never imagined anything like this—it would have made life so much easier,” said Michael Rabinowitz, son of Barbara. He expressed how initiatives like these can equip families to cope, adding, “It’s a whole new world for you.”
The initial programs for patients are geared towards enjoyable activities. Think poetry movements, karaoke, true or false games, and even sensory-themed bingo. There are also themed word games, which are set to arrive soon.
Supporting Families in Need
Rabinowitz, who recently retired from an investment banking career, lost his mother to Alzheimer’s in 2022 after a six-year battle with the disease. Reflecting on his experience, he remarked, “We didn’t even know how to approach it. Families suffer the most… it’s really a struggle, and it’s hard to explain to those who haven’t lived it.”
In 2003, he and his family established the Rabinowitz Charitable Foundation, aiming to support causes that included special needs and multiple sclerosis, eventually pivoting to address Alzheimer’s.
Rabinowitz reached out to a close friend, Chuck Fuschilio, who helped bring the center to fruition. Fuschilio, a former regional state senator, has been involved with AFA since stepping away from politics over a decade ago.
Fuschilio began searching for an appropriate location on the South Shore, ultimately finding a site near a village known for its historic Catholic community.
“We all won because there was a higher calling,” Fuschilio said. “This center meets important needs for many families, and we take great pride in it.”
Rabinowitz is particularly impressed with the facility’s focus on “psychology, not just science,” noting that it features sensory chambers designed to help manage dementia in a calming manner.
He took great satisfaction in leading this initiative, considering it a labor of love within his family. He described his mother, Barbara, as a nurturing figure who instilled in him the importance of kindness.
“Starting from humble beginnings, they faced significant pressures. They were few, but they were amazing parents and provided us with so much,” he shared. “They would be incredibly proud of this.”
