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Date: 4/27/2022
EAST LONGMEADOW – The Council on Aging (COA) hosted a reception on April 14 to kick off efforts to make East Longmeadow more friendly to residents and visitors with dementia.
Council on Aging Director Erin Koebler explained that East Longmeadow has adopted a program to encourage different facets of the town to learn about and embrace people with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive impairments that primarily affect elders.
The program is designed to raise awareness and education through training with people within the community. Koebler gave two real-world examples of interactions with a person living with dementia. In the first, a person accidentally paid their taxes twice, not having remembered the first payment. Koebler said an employee at the Town Hall realized this and reached out to express concern and make the person aware of the mistake.
In the second incident, a mother and daughter went to a hairstylist. When the mother began repeating herself, the stylist, unsure what to do, stopped listening to the woman and directed all her questions and comments to the daughter. Koebler said that the compassionate behavior in the first incident was helpful, while the second situation was uncomfortable for the person with dementia.
The first action was to request a resolution from the East Longmeadow Town Council expressing the desire to move forward in creating a community that was inclusive and welcoming to those with dementia. The resolution passed Jan. 11.
The COA’s efforts are part of the work done by Dementia-Friendly Massachusetts, an initiative of the Massachusetts Councils on Aging. The state-level organization has laid out steps to foster a dementia-friendly atmosphere.
The first step, which the East Longmeadow COA is in the process of, is to create an action team. Koebler said the team needs to consist of various stakeholders, including business owners, town staff, professionals who work with elders, first responders and other community members. These individuals will offer insight and points of view from various sectors in the town.
The next step will be to engage with residents. Koebler said the action team will be soliciting feedback from the community. This can look like a dementia-friendly night at the local library or information sessions. The team will then use the information it has gathered to develop and implement an action plan.
Rather than that being the end point, Koebler said, “It’s a dynamic timeline and action plan.” The training will be ongoing and updated as needed. At this point, the action team will submit a Dementia Friendly Massachusetts Pledge and the town will receive a certificate and public recognition for being on their way to becoming a dementia friendly community. Because becoming dementia-friendly is an ongoing process, the final step involves celebrating small accomplishments and continuing to follow the action plan.
Unlike many programs, Koebler said it will not cost taxpayers much before they see the results pay off.
“It’s a low-cost initiative with a high-result,” Koebler said. The initial training for first responders will be offered for free through the Alzheimer’s Association. While the COA has not pursued any grants for the program yet, it is considering business sponsorships to supplement the COA budget, which will pay for program costs.
While the senior center is the hub for dementia-friendly initiatives, Koebler said the entire town has a role in being dementia friendly. For example, police and fire personnel will be trained in how to interact with a person who may not be able to speak or follow commands.
Koebler said the dementia-friendly program will also streamline services the town already has in place, such as the “silver alert system,” used by police in cases when someone with cognitive impairment has “wandered.” She said she would like to see this program expanded.
East Longmeadow will join 82 cities and towns in Massachusetts that have already committed to creating a dementia-friendly environment, including nearby Longmeadow, Belchertown and Springfield.
For more information on dementia-friendly communities, visit https://dfmassachusetts.org.