Johnson County Dementia Friendly Community
By: Kim Bergen-Jackson, Administrator, Oaknoll Retirement Residence
Johnson County was recognized as an official Dementia Friendly Community through Dementia Friendly America in November 2022. What does that mean exactly? This designation is a recognition of our commitment to creating a county which is open, inclusive, and accommodating to those community members who are living with dementia, as well as their families, friends, and caregivers.
There is an action team comprised of local representatives from county and municipal government, Area Agency on Aging, the Alzheimer’s Association, and citizens who work with or care for someone living with dementia. The team is co-led by Jeff Kellbach and Kim Bergen-Jackson and welcomes new members. Jeff is the Johnson County Aging Specialist and Kim is the Administrator at Oaknoll.
How can you get involved?
You can become a Dementia Friend by attending a one hour informational session to learn more about living with dementia and the simple things you can do to support someone living with the disease. You don’t need to be an expert or know someone with dementia to become a Dementia Friend. To find a session, visit the website: www.DementiaFriendlyIowa.org
You can also join the action team by reaching out to Jeff Kellbach at jkellbach@johnsoncountyiowa.gov; or Kim Bergen-Jackson at kbergen-jackson@oaknoll.com. We are meeting monthly via zoom for an hour. The team is divided into different subcommittees in order to cover the entire county. We have started to offer Dementia Friends information sessions. There is also an opportunity for any business to become a Dementia Friendly Business/Organization. The individual staff members will be considered Dementia Friends and gain skills to identify and communicate with a customer or client who may have dementia. The organization will receive a “Dementia Friendly Business” widow decal for the store front and a certificate and have their logo placed on the Dementia Friendly Iowa website and social media pages. The education sessions will provide information on how to serve customers better, recognize signs of dementia in customers, communicate more effectively with patience and understanding, and develop business practices which keep people living with dementia in mind. The Action Team is also researching what additional measures can be taken to increase awareness, reduce stigma, and create a more understanding county for our community members living with dementia.
If you have any questions or want to join a growing movement of people like you who are helping fellow community members live with dementia, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
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