A Dementia Friendlier Future

A Dementia Friendlier Future for Canadian Communities

 

• Accessing materials at the local library. 
• Staying physically active at the neighbourhood recreation centre. 
• Utilizing public transit. 
• Enjoying a meal at a restaurant. 
• Picking up items at the corner store. 

What do these simple, community-based activities have in common? 

They can all be important parts of a daily routine for individuals living with dementia that may become difficult when stigma, misconceptions, or lack of awareness about dementia exists in the community. The good news is, they also represent interactions where Dementia Friendly considerations can help individuals to experience meaningful inclusion and support in the community! 

When it comes to Dementia Friendly efforts, you can make a difference in increasing support, inclusion, and accessibility in your communities. We can help you learn how.

The Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan continues to work towards the vision of a more supportive, inclusive, and accessible province by building awareness and understanding  about dementia and helping communities of all types and sizes to become more dementia friendly. 

We do this by continuing to engage individuals and groups in our provincial Dementia Friendly initiatives  and by contributing to the national, Dementia-Friendly Canada project  funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada. 

In the Dementia-Friendly Canada project, we join our Alzheimer Society partners in Manitoba, Ontario, and B.C., to promote dementia friendliness within key sectors of Canada’s workforce. From recreation centres and public libraries, to public transit, to restaurants and the retail sector, this project aims to provide individuals working in these sectors opportunity to learn more about dementia and to use this information to make a difference through their everyday interactions. 

Soon, Dementia-Friendly Canada online learning modules will join the Dementia Friendly Communities Toolkits we have already published for Municipalities and Libraries. These online modules will provide sector-specific examples about what individuals with dementia can experience in the community, along with practical considerations for communication tips, design & signage in physical environments, and helpful policies and practices that can be implemented by communities, businesses, and organizations in response. 

Engaging individuals living with dementia and their care partners has helped us to incorporate real experiences and Canadian context into the development of these tools so they will be meaningful, relevant, and practical for local community members.

And, like the Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan’s other public awareness and dementia friendly communities resources, these tools will be available free so you, your colleagues, and your communities can learn more. 

 

• Contact us at friends@alzheimer.sk.ca today if you represent a local faith-based community, public library, pharmacy, or First Nations community and wish to become involved in the provincial Dementia Friendly Communities efforts of the Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan.
   
• To continue learning more on an individual level, we also invite all community members to become a Dementia Friend today! Details and online sign-up available here.