A Jacksonville Beach nonprofit founded by a woman who spent a decade as a caregiver is planning a Floatilla in Jacksonville later this month. Death to Dementia's event is scheduled for October 25.
From Living Room Caregiving to a Community Movement
Death to Dementia was founded by Lindsay Amerault Wharton, who spent 10 years as the primary caregiver for both of her parents, beginning with her mother's 2014 diagnosis of Primary Progressive Aphasia and Alzheimer's, and later her father's own Alzheimer's diagnosis, according to Death to Dementia. Wharton originally considered keeping her story private before deciding to speak out publicly to advocate for other dementia caregivers, the organization notes. She incorporated Death to Dementia as a Florida nonprofit in November 2023, according to Sunbiz records, and the organization now works to raise awareness and funding for caregivers across the region.
Wharton spoke with Rance Adams, host of River City Live, about the upcoming Floatilla, as reported by News4JAX. The Floatilla is scheduled for Sunday, October 25, with a kickoff celebration at 10 am at Palms Fish Camp, followed by an after party around 2 pm at Palm Valley Outdoors, per the same report.
A Day on the Water
The Floatilla's event locations are Palms Fish Camp and Palm Valley Outdoors. Organizers are inviting people to join a day on the water.
Wharton's personal history is also tied to Palms Pantry, a neighborhood wine bar she opened in Jacksonville Beach's Isle of Palms area in part to give her late father, who was living with dementia, a welcoming place to socialize with neighbors, according to Duval Dive-Bars. Beyond the floatilla, Death to Dementia also runs the Shuck Off Dementia charity oyster roast and carnival at Palms Pantry, according to Palms Pantry, reflecting a year-round push to raise money for First Coast families affected by memory loss.
A Local Face on a Statewide Crisis
The floatilla arrives as Duval County grapples with a significant local burden of cognitive decline. An estimated 17,300 residents aged 65 and older, representing 12.1 percent of the local senior population, were living with Alzheimer's disease as of late 2025, according to First Coast News. That local reality fits into a much larger statewide picture: Florida ranks second nationally in total Alzheimer's prevalence, with an estimated 579,900 residents aged 65 and older living with the disease as of 2026, according to the Alzheimer's Association, which notes California is the only state with a higher total count.
The toll on families extends well beyond diagnosis numbers. Roughly 877,000 unpaid family caregivers in Florida provide 1.4 billion hours of unpaid care valued at more than $30.3 billion annually to relatives with Alzheimer's and dementia, according to the Alzheimer's Impact Movement. The financial strain reaches state government too, with Florida's Medicaid program projected to spend $3.91 billion on Alzheimer's and dementia-related medical costs in 2025–2026, per the Alzheimer's Association.
A Florida Alzheimer's Initiative
Florida has an Alzheimer's Disease Initiative.
Those interested in learning more about Death to Dementia can find details at www.deathtodementia.com.
