When CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions was looking for partners to help expand Dementia Friends Indiana, it turned to Conner Prairie in Fishers. The living history museum embraced the idea immediately. Since 2018, Conner Prairie has made significant improvements to the museum to make it a friendlier place for those with dementia.
CICOA presented Conner Prairie with a Partner Award for its work to make visiting a better experience for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
Among the steps Conner Prairie has taken to make its grounds more dementia friendly include:
- Creating the Memory Café for people with dementia and their caregivers. Each month the museum offers a free, 90-minute program that covers a variety of topics. The next Memory Café will held from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
- All staff and volunteers are taking Dementia Friends training so they can recognize the signs and better understand how to interact with those with dementia.
- Museum maps and signage now highlight designated areas with resting benches and quiet spots.
- Conner Prairie hosted an early opening with free admission last fall, so guests with dementia and their caregivers could enjoy a quieter experience while exploring the museum.
Since CICOA launched the Dementia Friends Indiana initiative, more than 2,700 people have taken the Dementia Friends training either at a local course or online at dementiafriendsindiana.org.
CICOA leads the Dementia Friends Indiana movement, which is a coalition of organizations and individuals seeking to advance education and awareness of dementia, reduce the stigma associated with the disease and create community environments that are welcoming and conducive for those living with dementia.
About CICOA
CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions is a nonprofit organization and the designated Aging and Disability Resource Center serving Central Indiana. CICOA provides a wide range of 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. For more information, go to CICOA.org.