Aug 13, 2020
Approximately 130,000 people in Massachusetts age 65+ are living with Alzheimer’s. On Cape Ann, over 10% of residents 65+ have dementia. Dementia is something that touches all of our lives, in one way or another. During the pandemic Age & Dementia Friendly Cape Ann (ADFCA) has continued its efforts to tackle the lack of understanding and stigma associated with dementia by hosting Dementia Friends Sessions online via Zoom.
Dementia Friends is a global movement that is changing the way people think, act, and talk about dementia. Dementia Friends sessions help people learn about dementia and the small ways they can help those living with the disease in our community.
To become a Dementia Friend, you participate in a one-hour Dementia Friends Information Session. You will learn five key messages about dementia and a bit about what it’s like to live with dementia. As a Dementia Friend, you turn your new understanding of dementia into a practical action that can help someone with dementia living in your community. Your action can be as big or as small as you choose – because every action counts!
One Dementia Friends session attendee noted: “I was so pleased to see people showing their support for those living with dementia by becoming Dementia Friends. We need to create more dementia friendly communities so that people affected by dementia feel understood and included.”
By helping everyone in a community understand what dementia is and how it affects people, each of us can make a difference for people touched by dementia.
These one-hour Dementia Friends Sessions typically take place in person but due to the pandemic the format has shifted to small online groups. Another Dementia Friends Session has been scheduled for late August.