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Date: 2/22/2023
EAST LONGMEADOW — The Pleasant View Senior Center will host a Dementia Friends educational session on Feb. 28 at 10:30 a.m. taught by author, speaker, community educator and support group facilitator Mark Nutting.
The session is part of the Dementia Friendly East Longmeadow Initiative, a subset of Dementia Friendly Massachusetts, a nationwide grassroots effort to create more welcoming, supportive and engaging communities for those who have dementia and their care partners. It’s an effort to educate and support business leaders, employees, and town workers who will be exposed to folks who have memory issues; to help them create a space which helps the person with dementia navigate their environment as well as helping them feel supported.
East Longmeadow Council on Aging (COA) Director Erin Koebler said, “This session is evidence-based Dementia Friends training. It will touch on what to look for, what people in the community who are experiencing dementia might look like to those who encounter them and some tips on how to really help.” She went on to say, “It’s great for everyone in our community to understand how to interact with somebody who might be experiencing a neurocognitive issue, as well as [creating] a supportive place for caregivers to feel comfortable taking folks they’re caring for with dementia.”
Koebler told Reminder Publishing as of June 2022, there are 86 towns in Massachusetts that are certified as dementia friendly. When Koebler came into her position in August 2021, one of her goals was to create a dementia and age friendly East Longmeadow. The initiative had been started prior to Koebler’s tenure, and then COVID-19 happened, so the Council On Aging rekindled the effort to create a dementia friendly environment in East Longmeadow once it was safe again. In January of 2022 the Town Council passed a resolution that East Longmeadow would start on this Dementia Friendly Initiative. From there the Council on Aging formed an action team that consists of business leaders, senior service leaders, banking professionals, the local Chamber of Commerce and town departments to create an action plan. The COA kicked off the initiative with a breakfast at the senior center in April of 2022. They’ve been hosting education sessions and other community outreach since then to help create a dementia friendly environment in East Longmeadow.
Nutting is a community educator for the Dementia Friends and Alzheimer’s Association organizations. His mother battled Alzheimer’s and he was her caregiver for 13 years. After she passed away, he volunteers his time to teach education classes and facilitate caregiver support group for those caring for a loved-one who is living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. When Nutting found out last year that his hometown East Longmeadow is becoming a dementia friendly community, he became very active and began teaching a series of education classes.
“The takeaway from this session would be to recognize the signs and symptoms of dementia, when and if you have it in your family, friends or yourself, but also when you’re in the community and see someone having cognitive problems due to dementia,” Nutting said. “If people can recognize dementia, then armed with a few tips and tools, they’ll be comfortable and not afraid approaching that person to help them. They’ll understand how to deal with somebody who needs a little bit of help in a public place.”
The COA’s goal is to do these sessions often enough that people who are interested in attending are able to do so. Right now, they are working through their action plan to be certified and reach as many sectors in the community as possible. Once they’re certified as a Dementia Friendly Community, the COA would like to continue having trainings and offer the newest information available to people.
“We want people to leave the session feeling empowered to support those with dementia and their caregivers in the community,” said Koebler. “We really want East Longmeadow to become generally informed, embracing and respectful to people living with dementia and their caregivers.”
To learn more information about the session call 525-5436 or email coa@eastlongmeadowma.gov.