Training begins to help Richmond County be ‘dementia friendly’
What county
Leading up to that will be training sessions for caregivers, agency representatives and others who wish to become "dementia friends" (merely knowledgeable) or "dementia champions" (trainers themselves).
"When we get more trainers, then we will spread out in the community," said
"Now that we're doing (training), I feel like people will reach out to us," Welch said.
Welch and Hall say they already have heard from representatives of the
In the meantime, those planning the push to make the county "friendly" to those with dementia -- by providing and expanding services, and educating the community -- will scope out the
The actions have earned praise from
The programs would allow those with dementia to shop without fear of strange looks from neighbors or threats of action by police who might not understand their behavior, Hensley said. And they would allow caretakers more flexibility in where they could take their elderly charges.
According to the 2010 federal census, 14.3 percent of those 65 and older living in
Dementia can take as many as 50 forms, experts say, with Alzheimer's disease being the most prevalent, at 65 percent to 70 percent of dementia cases. In
Yet despite the prevalence of the disease, many people don't know how to respond when they encounter it.
Several
But awareness is only the first step. Communities also must think about providing residential settings for those suffering memory loss; dementia-aware legal and financial planning; options for independent living and community engagement; dementia-friendly transportation; dementia-aware government services such as police and fire response; and dementia-sensitive health care that also seeks out the underserved.
Such efforts require a network comprising businesses, churches, civic and governmental organizations, financial and legal enterprises, and human-services agencies working toward a common agenda.
Hall of DSS said supporting those with dementia also would require everyday changes in things most people don't even think about. For example, do agency and business brochures use big enough font sizes and colors that the elderly or color blind can see well?
In fiscal 2016,
Those interested in becoming involved in any way with the campaign for "dementia friendliness" may call Welch at 910-997-4491.
Reach
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