Dementia Friendly Communities
A dementia friendly community is a village, town, city or county that is informed, safe and respectful of individuals living with dementia, their families and caregivers, and provides supportive options that foster quality of life.Source: Dementia Friendly America
Building Dementia Friendly Communities Across Ohio
The Ohio Council for Cognitive Health (OCFCH) is the state lead for Dementia Friendly Ohio. Working hand in hand with Dementia Friendly America and local partners, we help communities build the knowledge, connections, and practical solutions needed to become more dementia-friendly.
Our goal? Nothing short of a Dementia Friendly Ohio.
What is Dementia Friendly America?
Dementia Friendly America is a national network of communities, organizations and individuals seeking to ensure that communities across the U.S. are equipped to support people living with dementia and their caregivers. Dementia friendly communities foster the ability of people living with dementia to remain in their community and engage and thrive in day to day living. Dementia Friendly America is administered by USAging.
What Does It Mean to Be Dementia Friendly?
Being dementia friendly means intentionally considering and including people living with dementia and their care partners in the places where they live, work, and interact.
For community organizations and professionals, it means involving people affected by dementia in planning and delivering services. For individuals, it means learning more, becoming aware, and finding ways to make your community more welcoming and supportive.
No one organization can do this alone. It takes all of us, working together toward a shared vision.
How Does a Community Become Dementia Friendly?
Communities come together to form a Action Team — a group of local organizations, professionals, community members, and people living with dementia and their care partners.
Together, the Action Team:
- Builds a shared vision for a dementia-friendly community
- Identifies local needs and opportunities
- Develops a plan of action
- Creates practical solutions
- Shares responsibility and measures progress
- Builds partnerships that can sustain change
This collaborative approach, known as Collective Impact, brings people and organizations together to create lasting, community-wide change.
Start Small. Build Together.
One way to begin is by becoming a Dementia Friend or Dementia Champion. OCFCH offers free sessions each month to help individuals and organizations take their first step.
What is the difference between Dementia Friendly Communities and Dementia Friends?
We have a flyer that explains that difference right here!
Why become a Dementia Friendly Community?
Joining the Dementia Friendly America network connects your community to a growing movement across Ohio and the nation.
Your community can:
- Help improve quality of life for people living with dementia and their care partners
- Partner with people affected by dementia—not simply do things for them
- Connect with other communities and organizations working toward the same goal
- Receive local, state, and national recognition
- Display the Dementia Friendly Ohio logo and community sticker
- Gain access to resources, tools, and expertise
“I believe that the community in the fullest sense: a place and all its creatures — is the smallest unit of health and that to speak of the health of an isolated individual is a contradiction in terms.” — Wendell Berry
OCFCH Is With You Every Step of the Way
As Ohio’s lead for Dementia Friendly Communities, OCFCH provides the support and resources communities need to move from ideas to action.
We provide:
- Guidance and expertise — Subject matter expertise, practical tools, and operational support
- Learning and connection — Learning collaboratives and quarterly opportunities to connect with other communities
- Community engagement — Resources that help communities involve people living with dementia and their care partners
- Education and resources — Educational materials, brain health information, and other community resources
- Measurement and evaluation — Frameworks, metrics, and guidelines to track progress and impact
- Ongoing support — Trend monitoring, new opportunities, and state and national connections
Ready to get started?
Becoming a Dementia Friendly Community is within your grasp—and you don’t have to do it alone.
Let’s work hand in hand to make Ohio a more dementia-friendly state.
