Dementia Friends Minnesota is changing the way we think, act and talk about dementia. Since launching in 2015, 30,000 people have joined the Dementia Friends movement by participating in an hour-long information session and committing to be dementia friendly. The model is based on the idea that each of us plays a role in making our communities better places to live for people with dementia.
New to the Dementia Friends program is an information session developed specifically for children ages 5-8. The session uses memory games, stories and time to answer questions children have about memory loss. The session explains dementia and how children can be a good friend to those living with dementia.
“Kids are smart, active and observant members of an inclusive community,” says Maren Levad, dementia friendly community initiatives manager at Trellis. “We want to make sure our elementary friends understand what dementia is, what things they don’t need to worry about and that they are important helpers.”
The early elementary Dementia Friends model gives teachers tools to talk about dementia in ways that children will understand. For example, in the session children learn that dementia is not contagious, and that no one is to blame if someone has cognitive changes.
They also brainstorm ways to be a friend—something kids know a lot about. They share ideas like being kind, patient and sharing their own memories.
Dementia Friends for early elementary students is currently being tested in first- and second-grade classrooms in the Twin Cities. “We’re still tweaking the content based on what we’re seeing and hearing from students—their feedback is helping us improve the model,” says Maren.
If you know of an early elementary group that would be willing to participate in Dementia Friends, please contact us at info@actonalz.org.
