Dementia Friends

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Launched in 2009 with a mission to better support individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and their families, the ACT on Alzheimer’s works with health care providers, community members, government officials, caregivers, those with Alzheimer’s, and local businesses to create a support system. The Hopkins chapter of ACT on Alzheimer’s is committed to supporting those who live with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia and work to create more dementia friendly communities locally. Here we take a closer look at how they do that. 

Recent TV news reports of a missing person in the Duluth, Minnesota area all commented that the person was living with dementia. Except they didn’t say it that way. One local station reported that the person suffers from dementia.  

Those news outlets could have chosen better words to describe the situation. A change in how we talk about the range of symptoms that is dementia is one of the key actions that Dementia Friends focuses on.

Dementia Friends is an information program that provides participants a better understanding of what exactly dementia is. The program also offers suggestions and tips for change that can make a difference in the lives of those living with dementia as well as their families, caregivers and community members. The hour-long information sessions are free and led by volunteers who have received specific Dementia Friends training. Currently, over 15,500 Minnesotans have attended Dementia Friends sessions.  

Hopkins, Minnesota resident Beth Kampf heard about Dementia Friends when she attended a showing of the PBS film “Alzheimer’s: Every Minute Counts.” She registered to attend an information session that day!

Kampf said she liked the ways the Dementia Friends volunteers talked about the 10 early signs and various symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and how to know the difference between dementia and normal aging. “The program changes the mindset of how people are struggling” says Kampf, and talks about the stigma around Alzheimer’s. Her father is living with the disease and has noticed it took a while for her mother to share this with friends and other relatives. “Mom didn’t want them to look at him differently,” Kampf said.

The information sessions also offer strategies for communicating with a person who is living with dementia has five key messages: 

• Dementia is not a normal part of aging. Not everyone will develop dementia as they age. 
• Dementia is caused by diseases of the brain. Symptoms can include memory loss, mood changes and problems with communication and reasoning. 
• Dementia is not just about having memory problems. It can interfere with how a person thinks, speaks, and acts.
• It is possible to have a good quality of life with dementia. Although some things may be harder to do, with the right support it is possible for a person to still live their best life.
• There is more to the person than the dementia. See the person first, then as someone living with dementia second.

Dementia Friends is a program that was developed by the Alzheimer’s Society in the United Kingdom and has now become a global movement. At the end of each Dementia Friends session, participants are encouraged to take what they have learned and turn it into a practical action, no matter how small, that can help those in the community who are living with dementia. 

Dementia Friends sessions are scheduled for the fourth Tuesday of each month at the Hopkins Activity Center and can even be brought to your group, free of charge. To learn how, contact Laura Herman at 952-697-5373 or Laura.Herman@cassialife.org.

To help support and educate those living with dementia and their caregivers the Hopkins ACT on Alzheimer’s is proudly sponsoring several dementia related community events in May in recognition of national Senior Awareness Month. Throughout the month, residents in Hopkins and surrounding cities are invited to attend a number of events, all of which are FREE and open to the public.  

• Forgetfulness, Is it normal or a warning sign– May 5th
• Driving and Dementia– May 7th
• Open Circle Support Group – May 7^th& May 21st
• Hopkins ACT Overview – May 9th
• Memory Café – May 14^th
• Hopkins Fire and Police Supporting ACT – May 16th
• The Gift; how caring for someone with Alzheimer’s brought unexpected blessings – Author Rick Naymark– May 23rd
• Emerald Crest Meal and Meeting Support Group – May 23rd 
• Dementia Friends Session – May 28th
• The Glenn Hopkins Community Caregiver Support Group – May 28th 

For complete list of 2019 May events including dates, times and locations go to www.augustanacare.org/dementiafriendly.

The ACT on Alzheimer’s initiative is powered by theHopkins ACT on Alzheimer’s Action Team which includes members from; the Hopkins Library; City of Hopkins, Hopkins Fire and Police, Cassia Services and Communities; Chapel View Health Care Center; Emerald Crest of Minnetonka and Augustana Open Circle, Volunteers of America – Elder Homestead of Minnetonka, Gethsemane Lutheran Church, Hopkins Elks, and The Glenn.For more information, please contact Laura Herman at 952-697-5373 or Laura.Herman@cassialife.org. 

Located in Burnsville, Minnetonka, Shakopee, and Victoria, Emerald Crest by Augustana Care memory care communities are inspired by residents and families. With a deep knowledge of memory care, we offer a specialized assisted living setting for older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and similar conditions. Staff expertise allows us to create opportunities that go beyond conventional notions of memory care. To learn more, please visit www.emeraldcrest.com.