Dementia Friends Education
Dementia Friend Education
Dementia Friendly Washington County has partnered with Dementia Friends USA, A Dementia Friendly America Initiative that is changing the way people think, act, and talk about dementia. Anyone can be a Dementia Friend – we all have a part to play in creating dementia friendly communities!
Developed by the Alzheimer’s Society in the United Kingdom, the Dementia Friends initiative is underway in the USA, changing the way people think, act, and talk about dementia. 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.
Our Team of Dementia Champions lead by Rebekah Blum DFWC Training Leader, are dedicated to bringing the Dementia Friend education to many facets of our community including;
- Local Government
- Health care throughout the Continuum
- Residential and Specialty Care
- Libraries
- Faith Communities
- Local Businesses
- Community-based Services and Supports
- Neighbors and Community Members
- Hospitals
- First Responders
- Airports
- Banks and Financial Services
- Legal and Advance Planning Services
Dementia Friendly Business
Dementia is Everyone's Business
In Maryland, Alzheimer’s disease is the seventh leading cause of death among older residents. Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias represent an urgent, high burden, and high-cost public health crisis. An estimated 110,000 Maryland residents over age 65 are living with dementia, a number that is expected to increase 18% to 130,000 by 2025. Care for individuals with dementia accounts for more than $1.2 billion in annual Medicaid spending, with costs projected to increase 25% by 2025. In addition to direct medical costs, family caregivers in Maryland provide over 360 million hours of unpaid care every year. (Maryland Department of Health)
How to become a Dementia Friendly Business
Our Dementia Friend Champions are committed to providing free in-person or virtual training for management and staff to;
- Understand Dementia
- Recognize signs
- learn tips for communicating and interacting with someone who may be living with dementia
- Get ideas on how to create a dementia friendly environment
- become familiar with resources in our community
Education Sessions can be completed 3 ways
1) In-person Education Session
In-person sessions scheduled with and provided by one of our Dementia Friend Champions. These sessions are 1 hour in length. All who complete the in-person session will be provided a Dementia Friend certificate to showcase your participation and commitment to be a Dementia Friend in out community. You will also learn about resources in our community and become part of the movement to make Washington County Dementia Friendly.
2) Virtual Education Session
Virtual sessions are scheduled with and provided by one of our Dementia Friend Champions, by using virtual meeting applications such as Google Meet, Zoom, Skype, etc. Connect with a Dementia Friend Champion today to schedule your virtual Dementia Friend education session.
3) Attend a Dementia Friend Education session being offered in our community.