You’ve probably seen the signs, someone at the grocery store who can’t find the right change, a neighbor who looks confused at a crosswalk, a parent who keeps asking you the same question over and over. You may get irritated or frustrated. Instead of avoiding contact or walking in a different direction, Dementia Friends Indiana wants you to reach out, and on Sept. 14, you can learn how during Dementia Call-to-Action Day.
Dementia Friends, a statewide imitative led by CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions, is sponsoring a free workshop from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 14 at the Harrison Center for the Arts, 1505 N. Delaware St., Indianapolis. At the workshop, attendees will learn more about dementia and how to respond when they see someone who may be having difficulty with memory issues.
“Dementia Friends Indiana is a statewide movement to change how Hoosier communities think, act and talk about dementia,” said Dustin Zeigler, CICOA’s director of community programs, who is spearheading Dementia Friends Indiana. “As the number of Hoosiers who have dementia increases, so does the need for communities to better understand and accommodate those who are suffering from the condition.”
Experts will provide specific steps individuals and community leaders can take in becoming a Dementia Friend and reduce the stigma associated with this condition that has no cure or no treatment to slow it down. People with dementia often feel isolated and trapped at home, because they don’t feel comfortable being in public. There are things individuals and communities can do to help, but it all begins with education.
CICOA piloted the Dementia Friends Indiana movement in Hamilton County earlier this year and recently announced a new partnership with Conner Prairie. The living history museum in Fishers is installing new signage and printing new maps that make it easier to find quiet resting areas. It also opened a Memory Café earlier this month and is offering programs for people with dementia. Dementia Friends Indiana provided training for staff.
“Understanding dementia and breaking down the stigma associated with it is the most important and effective thing we can do right now. This is what the Dementia Friends Indiana movement aims to achieve,” Ziegler said. “Given the increased number of people diagnosed with dementia, every community sector is affected, which means everyone can play a role in the movement.”
About Dementia Friends Indiana
The Dementia Friends Indiana initiative is part of the Dementia Friendly America campaign to make communities more informed, safe and respectful for those living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia and to reduce the social isolation it can cause. Part of a global movement that began in 2012 in the United Kingdom, the U.S. campaign is led by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a), of which CICOA is a member. The focus of the campaign is to foster dementia-friendly communities and register dementia friends nationwide. To learn more or to become a dementia friend, visit dementiafriendsindiana.org.
About CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions
CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions is a non-profit organization providing the innovative answers, services and support you need to help you or a loved one remain at home in better health, with better care, at a lower cost. As a state-designated Area Agency on Aging serving Central Indiana, CICOA links people with information, support and services for older adults, people with disabilities and family caregivers, including care management, home health care, home-delivered and neighborhood meals, transportation, home accessibility modifications, respite care and caregiver assistance. To learn more, visit cicoa.org.