Senior Resources of West Michigan, the area agency on aging for Muskegon, Oceana and Ottawa counties, is launching a new public awareness initiative, Dementia Friendly Muskegon. Dementia Friendly Muskegon (DFM) is part of the Dementia Friends international movement, which began in the United Kingdom several years ago. The Dementia Friendly movement will also expand into Oceana and Ottawa counties later in 2019.

People with dementia sometimes need help going about their daily lives and to feel included in their communities. To assist with this, Dementia Friends works to give people an understanding of dementia, and the small things they can do to make a difference. It may be helping someone find something in a grocery store, or spreading the word about dementia on social media or to friends and family - every action counts!

The Dementia Friends program focuses on five key messages that we believe everyone should know about dementia:

To become a Dementia Friend, a person needs to understand these five key messages and then commit to at least one dementia-friendly action.

There are monthly 1-hour Dementia Friends sessions at Tanglewood Park, 560 Seminole Road, Muskegon. To sign up for the December 12 session, 10-11 a.m., visit:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dementia-friend-session-tickets-52541176072?aff=ebdssbdestsearch. You can also sign up for future monthly sessions through eventbrite.

For more information, contact Lisa Tyler at [email protected], or call 231-733-3509.