What are Dementia Friendly Communities?

People with dementia—an umbrella term for a group of illnesses that can affect memory, communication, and daily living—often need ongoing support. While this support can come from individuals, like caregivers and family members, it can also come from communities. 

With this in mind, multiple cities and towns have been taking steps to become “dementia-friendly communities.” This generally involves making communities more accessible for individuals with dementia, as well as providing plenty of support options for those living with this condition. While not all areas may be considered dementia-friendly, there can be many ways to find care for those with dementia, such as online therapy to address any related mental health challenges they may be experiencing.

An overview of dementia

You may have heard of Alzheimer’s disease, an illness that usually involves gradual memory loss, changes in thinking, and trouble completing daily tasks. Alzheimer’s tends to be the most common type of dementia, but it’s not the only one.

“Dementia” can be seen as an umbrella term for several conditions that can affect people’s thinking abilities, communication, and daily functioning. Although these can have different causes, they often lead to the following symptoms.

Symptoms of dementia 

• Forgetfulness
• Trouble expressing thoughts and ideas
• Trouble with balance and movement
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Trouble making decisions, solving problems, and planning

While these symptoms may start out mild, they often get worse as time goes by. People with dementia usually require more care as the illness progresses. Those with late-stage dementia may need round-the-clock help with tasks like eating, dressing, moving around, and going to the bathroom. 

What are dementia friendly communities?

While there is no known cure for dementia, it is often possible for those living with it to have a better quality of life. That said, this can depend on having access to important facilities.

Dementia friendly communities are facilities for people living with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease

• Health care
• Community groups, meetups, and other places to socialize
• In-home support services
• Assisted living environments
• Help with budgeting and financial planning
• Educational resources

While individual actions can be helpful, they may not always be enough to address all these needs. There are estimated to be almost 10 million new dementia cases each year, and larger-scale action may be needed to support and care for all those affected. 

Given this, some cities and towns are working to make life easier for those living with dementia, their loved ones, and their care partners. These are commonly known as dementia-friendly communities. 

What makes a community dementia-friendly? The organization Dementia Friendly America lays out 10 areas of dementia friendliness: 

Local infrastructure

This generally refers to making aspects of the physical environment, like transportation and public spaces, more accessible for people with dementia. 

Businesses

This might involve dementia-friendly customer service in local businesses and policies that make it easier to work as a professional dementia caregiver. 

Legal services

A dementia-friendly community might provide services to help people with dementia plan ahead and lay out instructions for their care. 

Financial services 

These are services that can help people with dementia plan their finances so they can remain independent for as long as possible. 

Community members

Education may help people better understand dementia. A dementia-friendly community might use educational programs or awareness campaigns to help locals better support their fellow community members. 

Independent living

Having access to care may help people with dementia live independently for a longer period of time. For this reason, dementia-friendly communities might also emphasize providing widespread access to at-home help.    

Faith-based communities

These are often a staple of dementia-friendly communities, offering a social environment and spiritual support. 

Ongoing care

A dementia-friendly community might provide access to resources that help dementia patients maintain their well-being throughout their illness. 

Memory support

Dementia-friendly community settings may offer a wide range of services to support people with memory loss. Some examples include assisted living facilities, home-based services, and hospice care.  

Emergency planning

A dementia-friendly community might also consider the unique needs of people with dementia when training first responders and making emergency plans. 

Addressing dementia as an individual

Through the dementia-friendly movement, a growing number of communities are making changes to help people with dementia. While this is often done by local governments, individuals can also take steps to build awareness and provide support. 

Whether you have a friend or family member with dementia or want to support those who do, you can: 

• Educate yourself and others on the realities of living with dementia
• Be patient and use simple language when interacting with people with dementia
• Volunteer for organizations that help people with dementia
• Participate in events to raise dementia awareness in your community
• Support dementia-friendly businesses, public spaces, policies, and services

Some nonprofit groups provide other resources for supporting people with dementia. For example, Dementia Friends, a project by the Alzheimer’s Society, offers in-person and online training to become a “dementia friend” in your community. 

Taking care of your own mental health as a caregiver of people living with dementia

It can be harder to support others if you’re managing your own mental health concerns, especially as a caregiver. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC, over half of dementia caregivers have high levels of emotional stress, and nearly half experience depression. 

Whether you’re a community advocate or a caregiver, you may want to take steps to maintain your own mental health. Therapy can be a source of ongoing mental health support, practical advice, and healthy strategies to manage stress.

It can sometimes take a few tries to find the right therapist for you. This might be tricky if you’re juggling a busy schedule, but online therapy may make it easier. Platforms like BetterHelp let you change therapists whenever you like, at no extra cost, for any reason. 

Studies have found that online therapy may improve the mental health of dementia caregivers. A 2023 study looked at 81 people caring for family members with dementia and other chronic conditions. The caregivers were placed in either a control group or an online therapy program. Those in the online therapy group typically saw reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms.