Springfield Dementia Friendly Coalition Hosts Lunch

A group of business leaders recently met at The Student Prince for lunch and presentation by the Springfield Dementia Friendly Coalition. Leaders working in restaurant, transportation, banking, tourism, healthcare, pharmacy, grocery, higher education, library, and industry sectors participated in a virtual dementia experience, shared their professional and personal experiences with dementia, and learned about what it would mean to make Springfield a Dementia Friendly Community.

A Dementia Friendly Community is one where all people can live, age, and thrive, including those living with dementia and their care-partners. Every member of the community understands their role and works together to create a culture that helps ensure people who are memory challenged can live independently for as long as possible.

When memory changes occur, individuals often become isolated, which can further hasten cognitive decline. A community that understands dementia will be one that supports its neighbors who are struggling to deal with loss of memory, loss of the ability to do routine activities, loss of independence, and loss of self.

Organizations represented in the Springfield Dementia Friendly Coalition include the Alzheimer’s Association, the Chapin Center, Greater Springfield Senior Services, SilverLife Care at Home, Springfield Department of Elder Affairs, Springfield Partners for Community Action and The Loomis Communities. For more information and a calendar of events in Western Massachusetts go to www.dementiafriendlycommunities.org.

The Coalition is sponsored in part by a grant from Massachusetts Council on Aging (MCOA), and PeoplesBank, O’Connell Care at Home, The Loomis Communities.