The Dementia Friendly Community Initiative sub-committee of the Walworth County Aging Network will host training for business owners and representatives, organizations and residents this week.
This 1-1/2 hour training will educate individuals how to recognize possible signs of dementia, communicate effectively with and assist individuals with dementia and know how to locate resources in the community. It will also show businesses and organizations how to earn the Purple Angel designation for being dementia friendly.
The training will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, May 18 in the Community Room at Peoples Bank, 837 N. Wisconsin St., Elkhorn.
“Have you heard of the Silver Tsunami a metaphor used to describe the rapidly growing senior population in the next 25 years? A 31 percent increase is expected in Walworth County by the year 2025,” a press release about the training states.
“We want to enhance the positive experiences for individuals in our community by encouraging good business practices, including respectful and responsive services for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and their caregivers. A dementia-friendly business becomes a stakeholder in the well-being of the community,” the release states.
A dementia-friendly business is one that:
- Is able to recognize the signs of dementia;
- Can communicate effectively with individuals with dementia;
- Knows how to locate resources and assistance for themselves and for individuals with dementia;
- Knows how and why they fit into the larger picture of a dementia friendly community, and;
- Evaluates its physical environment for safety and ease of navigation for an individual with dementia.
Once trained, the business will be awarded the Purple Angel, the dementia friendly symbol.
Dementia Friends is a global movement that is changing the way people think, act and talk about dementia. Developed by the Alzheimer’s Society in the United Kingdom, the Dementia Friends initiative is underway across the United States.
“By helping everyone in a community understand what dementia is and how it affects families, each of us can make a difference for people touched by dementia and Alzheimer’s disease,” the release states.
Space is limited for the training and reservations are required. For more information or to register contact Eric or Bernadette Russow at (262) 320-7325.
