“I grew up in a small town in Louisiana where everyone looked after each other,” says Jeanie McNulty, reflecting on her childhood in St. Martinville, Louisiana.
These days she lives in the oil and gas hub of Lafayette, Louisiana, and is president of a forensic construction accounting firm.
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Her father, Howard, had been postmaster, and when he developed Alzheimer’s he had the entire community to support him.
“Everybody knew him and made sure he was OK,” she said. “He was always worried whether he had enough money, so he went to the bank every day.”
“The bank teller would ask him to take out his wallet so they could count the ten $10 bills he carried there. Then the teller would say, ‘Mr. Howard, you have enough money. Put your wallet in your pocket and come back tomorrow if you’re worried,’” McNulty told LifeZette.
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The number of people with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, is expected to grow to 7.1 million in the next decade. Millions of others, mostly more unpaid caregivers, will be affected by the disease. But caring and trusting communities that welcome and support individuals with dementia may not — nor need not be — a thing of the past.
In our increasingly urbanized environment, community spirit can give way to anonymity. To counter this trend, communities across the U.S. are becoming “dementia friendly” to look out for the swelling ranks of older citizens with dementia.
Caring and trusting communities that support individuals with dementia need not be a thing of the past.
This effort is led by the Dementia Friendly America (DFA) initiative, an organization formed in April and based in Washington, D.C., to encourage businesses, legal and financial professionals, churches, transportation services and others to help those affected by dementia be part of the community.
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Communities that are signing on to the initiative hope to raise awareness, reduce the stigma and encourage organizations and citizens to reach out and help their neighbors just as they have done for hundreds of years in small town America.
Dementia friendly communities treat individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s with compassion and respect, and find ways to engage them in community life so they can live safely in their own homes for as long as possible, through education and awareness. The communities welcome their families and caregivers as well.
Many community-based organizations already do this.
Jonee Levy five years ago co-founded Next Village San Francisco. “Villages” are grassroots organizations of loosely connected neighbors who band together to remain socially connected, independent, and safe in their own homes.
“One of our earliest members had dementia,” Levy told LifeZette.
Related: Can Alzheimer’s Be Catching?
“Rhoda was a funny, positive person, and everyone just wrapped their arms around her and embraced her when she got Alzheimer’s,” Levy said.
But thinking of the future, Levy admits organizations like hers need to plan ahead. She projects that in another 20 years, 60 percent of San Franciscans are expected to be 60 or older.
“People are afraid of old age, so we have to get past the ageism that renders old people invisible, and especially those with dementia,” she said.
Levy said the business community in her North Beach neighborhood will respond to the idea of dementia friendly communities, since many of their regular customers are older and at risk for developing the disease.
Related: Making a Better Brain
If the dementia friendly policies have not yet been adopted by your city or town, there is still much that individuals can do. Here is a list of ways individuals and neighborhoods can help:
Examine your own fears: Understanding our own biases leads to better behavior choices.
Communicate simply and sincerely: Connect on a personal level, giving the person your whole attention.
Reach out to caregivers: Keep in touch. A card or a call shows you care. And include the caregivers in activities, even if you know they will not have fun.
Listen during times of stress, and pass the tissues when times are sad.
Find ways to help out so the caretaker can have time for herself, to get her hair done or have a haircut, or just to take a nap.
We can’t all live in small towns like Jeanie McNulty did, but everyone can organize their own neighborhood to become more friendly, welcoming, safe and accepting.
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