View this email in your browser.

Two New Communities Join the DFA Network

Washington County, OR

The cross-sector Dementia Friendly Washington County team is led by the Division of Disability, Aging and Veteran Services (DAVS), the local Area Agency on Aging. Other community representation includes the local library, businesses, home care, academia, public safety, residential and specialty care as well as community members touched by dementia. To respond to needs for services identified through their community assessment, DAVS offers information and referral to community services, regular educational events and programs to support family caregivers and coordination of social activities for people living with dementia.

Harrisonburg Rockingham County, VA

Dementia Friendly Harrisonburg Rockingham (DFHR) recognizes the growing need for communities where everyone can age well, including people living with dementia. DFHR Steering Committee members promote and support Dementia Friends and Dementia Friendly@Work sessions. DFHR has established smaller Action Teams to prioritize and focus on engaging specific groups through educational activities. Regular caregiver support events hosted by Valley Program for Aging Services (VPAS) provide additional opportunities for caregivers to establish connections. DFHR continues to promote its efforts on local radio and television and will be highlighted at yearly caregiver conferences sponsored by VPAS.

Join engAGED: The National Resource Center for Engaging Older Adults for a webinar focused on social engagement for people living with dementia on September 19 from 12:00 to 1:00 pm ET. During the webinar, Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center will provide a framer on social isolation and loneliness among people living with dementia. Pima Council on Aging and Gateway Geriatric Education Center will then highlight programs and interventions that help people living with dementia and caregivers stay socially engaged. All speakers will share tips for organizations to develop, implement and sustain these social engagement opportunities.

Dementia Friendly America staff facilitated a community panel discussion at a conference focused on public health opportunities and challenges of dementia caregiving hosted by the Public Health Center of Excellence on Dementia Caregiving. IN addition to exploring the benefits of cross-sector partnerships in supporting dementia capable communities, the conference served as a venue for identifying opportunities for public health to bridge the gap between individuals living with dementia and their care partners and important tools and resources that are supportive of their journey. Dawn Simonson (Trellis and ACT on Alzheimer’s), Beth Wiggins (FamilyMeans) and Amanda Mosier (Indiana University Health) joined DFA Director Mary Ek for a discussion about how public health can elevate dementia-friendly work to ensure that communities across the U.S. are equipped to support people living with dementia and their care partners. Recordings of the conference are available here.

TEDx Talks on Dementia

Susan Frick, Illinois state lead from the RUSH Alzheimer’s Disease Center, delivered a TEDx Talk about loneliness and Alzheimer’s. Social isolation and loneliness have been thrust into the spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, these issues have been and continue to be all too familiar for individuals navigating a dementia diagnosis. In her talk, Susan explores the impact of Alzheimer’s disease, much of which is not caused by brain changes but how individuals are treated after their diagnosis. Susan emphasizes the power of relationships and urges listeners to continue this national conversation.

In case you missed it, Beth Soltzberg, the Dementia Friends state lead in Massachusetts, delivered a TEDx Talk about memory cafes and their power to harness creativity and foster connection for individuals living with dementia.

Dementia Friends USA

There are 119,000 Dementia Friends across the United States. Join the Movement by becoming a Dementia Friend today! 

• Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Center Launches Online Learning Platform for Caregivers (Michigan Medicine, June 2, 2022)
• Who cares for the caregiver? (ASU News, June 20, 2022)
• Living with dementia in southern Africa is a heartbreaking challenge (National Geographic, June 22, 2022
• LETTER: Joyful Place offers respite for caregivers of those with memory loss (NWF Daily News, June 24, 2022)
• This Emory Alzheimer’s Researcher Is Working to Boost Diversity in Research (Being Patient, June 30, 2022)
• New Dementia Prevention Method May Be Behavioral, Not Prescribed (The New York Times, July 3, 2022)
• What Robin Williams' widow wants you to know about the future of Lewy body dementia (CNN Health, July 4, 2022)
• USI receives $1 million to expand programs of excellence in dementia care and advance care planning education (University of Southern Indiana, July 5, 2022)
• NIH Supports U of U Health Effort to Develop Online Dementia Advance Care Planning Tool (University of Utah, July 6, 2022)
• This Startup Is Using Music To Help Alzheimer’s and Dementia Patients (Rolling Stone, July 7, 2022)

• Conference: Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (Alzheimer’s Association, July 31-August 4, 2022)
• Virtual Event: engAGED and Commit to Connect Virtual Social Engagement Summit (August 2, 1:00-3:30 pm ET and August 3, 1:00-3:30 pm ET)
• Webinar: Serving People Living with Dementia: Programs and Interventions to Promote Social Engagement (engAGED: The National Resource Center for Engaging Older Adults, September 19, 2022 from 12:00-1:00 pm ET)
• Conference: Living Well with Dementia (Dementia Action Alliance, September 19-21, 2022) Early bird registration ends on July 31.
• Virtual Symposium: Public Health Action to Advance Early Detection of Dementia (BOLD Public Health Center of Excellence on Early Detection of Dementia, October 25-27, 2022)

Dementia Friendly America



Interested in starting a Dementia Friendly Community initiative? Contact Dementia Friendly America for resources and support! Check the DFA Getting Started webpage for additional information.