Dexter Takes First Step Toward Becoming a Dementia-Friendly Community

Council supports initiative with proclamation recognizing residents living with dementia and those who care for them

The City of Dexter has taken its first formal step toward becoming a nationally recognized Dementia Friendly Community, approving a proclamation supporting the initiative after a presentation by Dexter resident and retired geriatric nurse Carrie McElroy at the July 13 City Council meeting.

McElroy, who serves as the community coordinator for the local effort through the nonprofit Dementia Friendly Services, explained that the goal is not to create new medical services, but to make Dexter a community where people living with dementia and those caring for them can continue participating in everyday life with dignity and understanding.

“Since moving here, I became aware of an initiative called Dementia Friendly Communities,” McElroy told council. It’s actually under the auspices of Dementia Friendly America. There is a non-profit organization that provides communities with a designation of being specifically dementia friendly, and locally, Dementia Friendly Saline was one of one of the first communities within Michigan to receive that designation. There are now only five communities within Michigan. The most recent one being Chelsea.”

More Than a Medical Issue

McElroy said dementia affects far more people than many realize.

“Approximately one in 10 adults over the age of 65 will have dementia of some degree. One in three over the age of 85,” she said. “Seventy percent of those people live in their own home… These are people who are in our community, shopping at our stores, eating at our restaurants, paying their bills, paying their taxes, coming to downtown music in the park.”

Using local population estimates, she said there are likely about 1,000 people living with dementia throughout the greater Dexter area, including the city and surrounding townships.

The initiative seeks to help businesses, churches, government offices and civic organizations better recognize and respond to the needs of people living with dementia. The approach emphasizes simple changes in awareness, communication and customer service rather than expensive facility modifications.

What It Means to be Dementia Friendly

According to information included in the council’s meeting packet, Dementia Friendly Services is a Saline-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to make life “more dignified, less stigmatized, and a whole lot more fun” for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

The organization helps Michigan communities become dementia friendly by providing free educational workshops, public awareness lectures and community activities designed specifically for people living with dementia and their caregivers. Programs include Memory Cafés, dementia-friendly movie showings, theater performances, shopping events, art fairs and caregiver support programs.

One of its primary efforts is a free, one-hour workshop that teaches organizations:

• What dementia is and how to recognize it.
• The challenges people with dementia encounter in the community.
• Simple, low-cost ways to make businesses and organizations more welcoming.
• Practical recommendations tailored to each organization.

McElroy said the Rotary Club of Dexter, the Dexter Wellness Coalition and Dementia Friendly Services are partnering on the local initiative.

National Recognition

McElroy said communities that complete the process receive recognition through Dementia Friendly America, a national network that promotes dementia-inclusive communities.

Businesses and organizations that complete the awareness training may display decals indicating they have undergone dementia-friendly education.

City’s Proclamation

The proclamation adopted by the council outlines the growing impact of dementia nationwide.

It notes that 5.8 million Americans currently live with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, and that number could reach 14 million by 2050 without a cure. Alzheimer’s is the nation’s sixth-leading cause of death, while more than 16 million Americans provide 18.5 billion hours of unpaid care each year. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates the nation’s direct cost of caring for people with Alzheimer’s could reach $1 trillion annually by 2050.

The proclamation also commits the City of Dexter to supporting residents living with dementia and recognizes family caregivers. As part of that commitment, the city plans to provide dementia-friendly training for its staff.

McElroy said the immediate goal is to begin offering workshops throughout the community over the coming months before applying for national designation later this year.