ABOUT US

Rocco Anzaldi

President/CEO

Rocco Anzaldi, the Owner and Founder of Overcoming The Challenge, began his career as a very successful businessman in the wireless industry, for over 35 years, but everything changed when he was suddenly called upon to assist in caring for his mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He found out how caring for her was very overwhelming and challenging. When his Uncle and Aunt also passed from Alzheimer's, he decided to further his education in the nursing field of the Healthcare Industry at City College of San Francisco’s Nursing Program. When he did his clinical studies at Laguna Honda Hospital, caring for late stage Alzheimer’s patients, he found his passion and began dedicating his life to care for those in need of the proper care they deserve. Rocco felt that this was his calling and he should be more directed towards Memory Care for those with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.

DEDICATED TO MOTHER

1925 - 2010


I will love my mother, for the rest of my life. I will forever remember all of those years that hold very near and dear to my heart.
- Rocco Anzaldi

After years of experience working with the most challenging alzheimer's clients, who refuse care, are combative and prone to physical violence, he has been dedicated to creating crisis prevention and intervention training and continuing its research, support, and delivery of the highest quality behavior management training in helping families, professionals and their loved ones.

He attends Alzheimer’s Seminars such as:

Dementia Care Without Drugs, Annual Updates on dementia, Translating Research Into Practice and Teepa Snow, MS. OTR/L, Faota: Making a Difference in the World of dementia Care, Promoting Wellness & Well Being after the Diagnosis and by Creating Days that have Meaning and Joy

We are committed to advancing the field and set a higher standard of memory care

Over the years Rocco has helped care facilities to develop, train staff and solve care giving problems. He founded “Overcoming the Challenge”, a non-medical service, with a simple goal in mind that it is imperative that family members and/or their caregivers receive the leading edge training and skills in Alzheimer’s care.

A new language must change in the healthcare community.

Visiting some hospitals and communities, for those with Alzheimer’s, has thought Rocco, that the task we face today is agreeing which "bad" old words to throw away and finding new words that are both accurate and respectful. After all, that's what the highest quality of care matters when choosing words caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.

Respect and Dignity

Change Diaper to Briefs,

Change Bibs to Cloth Protectors,

Change Feeding a client to Assisting with Dining

Change Behavior Problems to Behavioral Symptoms

Change Problems to Opportunities

Rocco volunteers with the SPCA Animal Assisted Therapy Program with his best friend Blaze. He visits Alzheimer’s Communities and enjoys watching all the smiling residents sharing the human-companion animal bond, throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

Blaze

He is extremely loyal, intelligent, affectionate, happy, feisty, funny, energetic, lively, bossy, stubborn, persistent, impulsive and fearless. He loves to snuggle, sleep under the covers and his tail is battery powered.