My Journey

My name is Colette Afriyie and I am the founder of Colette Alethia & Co. I never planned to work in healthcare. My background was in media and broadcasting, and my life was taking a very different direction until 2017, when my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Because my grandmother had also lived with Alzheimer’s, I found myself asking questions I had never really stopped to consider: What is this disease? What does it mean for my mother, and what does it mean for our family? At the same time, I was caring for my mom while raising a growing family, and I quickly realized that my life was changing.

During the pandemic, I decided to become a Personal Support Worker, wanting to better understand care and equip myself to support others. Then I shared my mother’s story online, and something unexpected happened. People began reaching out to tell me about their own loved ones living with Alzheimer’s and dementia. I realized there was a gap, particularly for Black families who were looking for culturally relevant education, resources, support, and connection.

When my mother was eventually placed in long term care, one of my deepest concerns was whether she would receive care that recognized her not only as a person living with Alzheimer’s, but as a Black woman with her own culture, history, preferences, and identity. Thankfully, she was placed in a home where she had access to Black Personal Support Workers, and I saw the difference that representation and cultural understanding could make. It also made me think about families who do not have that same access, and the importance of care that is both person centered and culturally responsive.

Those experiences led me to establish the Afro Cognitive Health Collective in 2023. My mission is simple: educate, advocate, create resources, and connect the community. Through dementia education, community conversations, partnerships, and advocacy, I work to help Black families better understand dementia and navigate care with greater confidence and dignity. Partnerships, including my work with the Alzheimer Society of Peel, have helped me continue building this vision and advancing the conversation around culturally responsive, person centered care.

My journey began in media, took me through caregiving and healthcare, and ultimately led me here. Today, I take great pride in using my lived experience, training, and voice to educate families, advocate for better care, and help create resources and connections that reflect our communities. For me, this work is about making sure that people living with dementia are seen as whole people, not simply defined by a diagnosis.