Navigating FTD can be a frustrating, exhausting, and isolating ordeal for persons diagnosed, care partners, and family members. Information about the disease and how to manage its symptoms guidance can be hard to find even after a diagnosis.

An AFTD Meet & Greet can help fill those gaps. Meet & Greets are volunteer-hosted events gather people affected by FTD to share resources and support. After leaving a Meet & Greet, you will better understand the FTD journey and acquire the tools necessary to help handle its many challenges.

What Can I Expect at a Meet & Greet?

Meet & Greet events offer information on FTD, guidance for symptom management, and a chance to foster connections with people who understand what you are going through.

Volunteer hosts connect attendees to the many resources AFTD provides, including diagnostic checklists to help guide medical providers, or AFTD Comstock Grants, which offer financial assistance. Meet & Greets also allow volunteers to connect attendees with local or national FTD support groups they may be eligible to join.

Volunteers and attendees discuss the various forms of support available in their area – often providing multiple options, as not every type of support  will work for everyone. Additionally, volunteers will answer questions to the best of their ability. Attendees are encouraged to contact AFTD’s HelpLine with any questions the hosts may be unable to answer.

Because FTD still isn’t widely known, those living with the disease may struggle to find understanding, even among sympathetic family and friends. It is especially challenging when you find yourself in a particular age-group or community that presents its own set of difficulties, such as a young adult caring for a middle-aged parent, a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, or seeking Spanish-language support resources.

We recently talked to Tanisha Gupta about her experience as a young adult experiencing care-partnering for FTD. Gupta says that it can be hard for others to appreciate what the disease is really like.

“I was in college when my mom was diagnosed with bvFTD,” Gupta said. “While I was fortunate to have supportive friends, they did not understand the struggles I was going through – my mom’s bvFTD looked quite different from their elderly grandparents’ Alzheimer’s.”

By attending a virtual Meet & Greet, Gupta finally had a chance to connect with people who implicitly understood what she was going through. “I cannot overstate the value of having a group of similarly situated, trusted companions who can help guide one another through this process,” Gupta told AFTD.

Meet & Greets can lead to connections that provide support long after the event has passed. Some Meet & Greet events are designed to recruit members of a newly launched support group for the area. Gupta said that her Meet & Greet experience inspired her to create a brand-new group.

“I started the support group I currently run for young adult children of parents with FTD after attending a young adult virtual Meet & Greet back in 2020,” Gupta said. “I recently attended an in-person Meet & Greet in New York, and it reminded me why I find this community so invaluable. I finally got to meet people in person after speaking to them over Zoom for the past [three] years!”

Looking to attend a Meet & Greet near you? Check AFTD’s Events page!

Want to get an email alert when a Meet & Greet is planned near you? Sign up for emails from AFTD