Institute on Aging Aims for Dementia Friendly Communities
| May 18, 2016 | As the number of adults with dementia grows, so does the need for dementia-friendly communities.
The UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging held a workshop for Schmieding Home Caregiver Training education directors on how to establish dementia-friendly communities in their regions. Education directors from El Dorado, Fort Smith, Hot Springs, Jonesboro, Little Rock, Pine Bluff and Texarkana participated.
Speaker and workshop facilitator Olivia Mastry, J.D., M.P.H., offered an overview of Dementia Friendly America to participants. Dementia Friendly America’s mission is to foster “dementia-friendly” communities.
During the workshop, Mastry said every part of the community has a unique role in fostering meaningful access to and engagement in community life for people living with dementia; including these categories: businesses; faith communities; financial service professionals; health care professionals; legal services; government agencies; and transportation, housing and public spaces.
“Each and every part of the community can work towards becoming dementia friendly. As each sector takes its own steps to foster support, a community that is informed, safe and respectful emerges to foster quality of life for those living with dementia and their care partners,” said Mastry.
After lunch, workshop participants broke into groups and discussed best strategies for engaging with and educating their individual communities on how to be more dementia friendly. Then a member of each group discussed their ideas to the whole group.
Dementia Friendly America created a tool kit to guide community leaders and organizers on how to become more dementia friendly. It’s available on their website www.dfamerica.org.
“There is so much potential for each one of us to make a difference,” Mastry said.