Dementia Friends Ohio Spotlight Interview
Professors of Pharmacy Practice at Ohio Northern University
DEMENTIA FRIENDS CHAMPIONS
Kelly Kroustos, PharmD, CDP and Kristen Finley Sobota, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP
Learn how Professors of Pharmacy Practice at Ohio Northern University integrate Dementia Friends training into the pharmacy curriculum for P5 students. By embedding dementia education into future pharmacists’ learning, they are helping build a more informed, compassionate workforce ready to support people living with dementia and those who care for them.
What motivated you or your organization to become involved with Dementia Friends Ohio?
I was motivated because a former student of mine (Leslie Bittner) informed me of the program. She is a pharmacist who specializes in geriatrics at the V.A. in Cleveland. To be honest, I had never heard of the program. I am very involved with my pharmacy students at Ohio Northern University in outreach programming in the community for older adults. For many years, we have done programs in nursing homes, councils on aging, and senior citizens centers. Many of our programs such as music therapy and fidget blankets has shown benefit in patients with dementia. Therefore, when Leslie told my colleague and I about the program, we knew it would be a fantastic opportunity to become a Dementia Friends Champion!
How did you initially hear about the Dementia Friends program?
Again, I had heard about this program from a former student of mine, Leslie Bittner. She was one of the first pharmacy students I had when I was hired in 2007 at the Ohio Northern University Raabe College of Pharmacy. She came to speak to my students about her career in geriatrics at the V.A in December 2024. She informed us of the program and provided us information on the times/dates of the training sessions and I became trained in February 2025.
What steps did you take to become a Dementia Friends Champion?
It was so easy! I signed up at the same time to become trained as a Dementia Friend (Zoom session for one hour) and then I stayed on the call for an additional hour to become a Champion. The process was very simple and easy to complete.
Have you received any feedback from clients or community members about your involvement with Dementia Friends Ohio?
I will at the end of December. We incorporated Dementia Friends into our pharmacy curriculum. It was a mandatory breakout session for all P5 pharmacy students to attend in our Pregnancy, Pediatrics, and Geriatrics (PPG) Module. Students evaluated the entire PPG course and those evaluations closed on 12-14-25. We will receive those results after Christmas and into the New Year/January 2026.
What advice would you give to others considering becoming a Dementia Friends Champion?
Go for it! It’s such a lovely program, very informative and practical for all individuals. It’s a wonderful way to become involved, give back to the community, and help those with dementia as well as caretakers. I am so happy I became a Champion and have incorporated this training into our pharmacy curriculum for pharmacy students to complete during their P5 year.
How has being a Dementia Friends Champion influenced your role, leadership, or communication at work or personally?
I am so grateful we incorporated this training into our course for a mandatory breakout session that all P5 pharmacy students will complete. Becoming a Dementia Friends Champion has truly made me a better pharmacist and member of the community to be more supportive to those with dementia as well as caretakers. I also feel more empowered to making a difference in the lives of those with dementia by understanding the five key messages.
“It’s a wonderful way to become involved, give back to the community, and help those with dementia as well as caretakers.”