State Officials Focusing on Dementia-Friendly Communities

Lexis Twentier

Lexis Twentier

Published February 19, 2020 5:30 am
Image

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) hosted the 2019 Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (ADRD) Forum, which gathered nearly 100 stakeholders to assess progress, strengthen partnerships and community support, identify how healthcare systems can effectively work collaboratively within their communities, and discuss additional opportunities that will help to advance Pennsylvania’s State Plan on ADRD.

This year’s forum focused on development of Dementia Friendly communities and featured remarks from Secretary of Aging Robert Torres, a panel discussion of Dementia Friends Pennsylvania, and representatives from two Pennsylvania Dementia Friendly Communities. Sandy Markwood, CEO of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging and a national advocate for aging issues, served as keynote speaker and provided an update on Dementia-Friendly Communities nationwide. Attendees included government leaders and agency staff, advocates, professionals, healthcare providers, consumers living with ADRD and their families.

“We want to empower attendees by giving them the information they need to train Dementia Friends and Dementia Champions in every county across the state and establish new Dementia Friendly communities,” said Sec. Torres.

The forum opened with a video message from Governor Tom Wolf applauding participants for their efforts and was followed by opening remarks from Sec. Torres, who emphasized the importance of attendees’ efforts to help communities throughout Pennsylvania connect persons diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers to available supports and services at the local level.

“Nearly one in three seniors who dies each year has Alzheimer’s or some other dementia,” said Sec. Torres. “Because Alzheimer’s touches virtually every community in Pennsylvania, it’s essential that our plan is a plan for all of Pennsylvania, with goals and objectives that can be carried out by not only the Department of Aging, but by various organizations, stakeholders, individuals, and local communities across the Commonwealth.”

Sec. Torres further noted that in Pennsylvania, according to the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2019 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures Report:

There were 4,213 deaths from Alzheimer’s Disease in 2017.

There are an estimated 280,000 people aged 65 and older with Alzheimer’s in 2019.

That number is expected to increase to 320,000 by 2025, an estimated percentage increase of 14.3%.

Sec. Torres highlighted some of the progress made by the Alzheimer’s State Plan Task Force, formed by the Department of Aging in 2017. These include:

Starting a collaborative initiative with the Alzheimer’s Association to promote and help community set up Memory Cafés – places where people with dementia or memory loss and their caregivers can get together in a safe, supportive environment. More than 20 locally operated Memory Cafés are now up and running throughout the state.

Funding a project with the Alzheimer’s Association to establish a comprehensive marketing and communications pilot program in key markets to include underserved priority populations such as African- American, LGBTQ, and Latino.

Funding an Alzheimer’s Association effort to expand the base of volunteers through community forums and dementia education conferences in underserved areas.

Recent Articles

Community Partner