Dementia-Friendly Communities Conference

I am again this year on the planning committee for a conference about how to make our cities and communities more accommodative to those with dementia.  We had a similar conference two years ago, and I think it was quite profitable to those who attended, at least those with a stake in the life of someone with dementia.  The conference is primarily for people in Washington State, but I believe the material and topics last time were useful to people and organizations in other states.  This is especially true if your state has a nascent program for making your communities dementia-friendly, and you're looking for ideas. 

The conference will be a 2-day virtual event, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Tues/Wed September 19-20, with a pre-conference virtual “happy hour” from 4 – 5 p.m. on Monday September 18.  

The conference is for anyone who wants to take action to make their community more dementia-friendly, including people with dementia, caregivers, and people who work or volunteer in a variety of public settings: aging and senior services, arts and culture, chambers of commerce, city government, community centers, cultural associations, faith communities, libraries, neighborhood groups, parks and recreation, service clubs, social or health care services.  Whether you joined us for a previous conference or are attending for the first time, you’ll take away plenty of practical ideas and helpful tools!

Topics include: 

Overview of the Dementia Friendly America model and resources 

Culturally-celebratory dementia-friendly programs and initiatives 

How to start a Memory Café program in your community 

Using the Dementia Friends program for dementia awareness, including a tailored approach for Indigenous communities 

Engaging faith communities in the dementia-friendly movement 

Launching a dementia-friendly chorus: the Giving Voice model 

And more! 

Sliding scale $0 - $40 registration fee.

REGISTER HERE: https://depts.washington.edu/mbwc/events/dfc

The event is organized by the University of Washington Memory and Brain Wellness Center, on behalf of the Washington State Dementia Action Collaborative, with primary funding from the Aging and Long Term Support Administration, and with a planning committee made up of advisors from across the state.