Dementia Friendly Communities Ontario

A Dementia Friendly Community is a place where people living with dementia are understood, respected, and supported. Read more about how to be dementia-friendly and how you can help on this page!

Dementia Friendly Communities Ontario

Join us in creating safe and supportive spaces for people with dementia by learning how to create a Dementia Friendly Community!

What is a Dementia Friendly Community?

A Dementia Friendly Community is a place where people living with dementia are understood, respected, and supported. It's an environment where they will feel more confident in their abilities to contribute to community life, will be included in conversations, and have a choice and control over their day-to-day lives. 

People with dementia and their care partners have the right to live well in the community, together. As more people are diagnosed with dementia every year and choose to live at home, we need to determine how we can better support people living with dementia. 

Join thousands of Ontarians in showing your support for people living with dementia and their care partners. Together, we can create a Dementia Friendly Community.

Dementia-Friendly Canada™

The Dementia-Friendly Canada™ project is a partnership between Alzheimer Societies across the country. One of the project goals is to train Canada’s workforce to be dementia-friendly. We are doing this is by developing free tools and resources to give Canadians knowledge and confidence to support and include people affected by dementia in their communities.

The Building Dementia-Friendly Communities e-learning course is designed for professionals working in three areas:

  • Recreation and library
  • Restaurant and retail (customer services and general public)
  • Public transportation sectors

The course has 4 modules approximately 15 minutes each:

  • What is a dementia-friendly community?: An introduction to the concept and dementia-friendly efforts at the community level.
  • Dementia-friendly interactions: Social environment considerations, such as ways you can communicate effectively with someone living with dementia.
  • Dementia-friendly spaces: Physical environment considerations, such as ways you can optimize your space to be dementia-friendly.
  • Dementia-friendly policies, practices and services for organizations: Provides specific scenarios and recommendations.

The information is practical and is helpful for people from all levels of an organization – from customer-facing staff, to management, and to key decision-makers.

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To register for the course, click here.

 

 

Help Make Your Community Dementia Friendly

Dementia Friendly Communities™ training will help you better understand the everyday experiences of people living with dementia.

How to get started

For Individuals

For Community Leaders

Are you a community partner or member of a local government? Here are 3 easy steps to become a Dementia Friendly Community supporter.

  • Connect with your local Society offering Dementia Friendly training.
  • The Society will work with you to determine your training needs and will provide customized in-person training.
  • The Society will work with you to establish an ongoing partnership and support network.

For Businesses, Organizations & Agencies

Are you a business, organization, or agency who wants to become a Dementia Friendly Community supporter? Here's how:

  • Connect with a Society offering Dementia Friendly training.
  • The Society will work with you to determine your training needs and will provide customized in-person training.
  • The Society will work with you to establish an ongoing partnership and support network.

The Benefits of Becoming a Dementia Friendly Community Supporter

  • Join a global movement.
  • Support a large and growing part of the population.
  • Be accessible to people with all types of abilities.
  • Receive recognition in our online directory of current supporters so your community will know you are helping build a Dementia Friendly Ontario!

Get Connected

If you have any questions, please contact Dawn Hannah at the Alzheimer Society of Ontario. Find your Local Alzheimer Society here.

Our Supporters

The Alzheimer Society recognizes and thanks the municipalities, businesses, service providers, and community leaders listed here who have completed Dementia Friendly community training throughout Ontario.

Our Leading Partners

Dementia Friendly Communities Showcase

From care partners to people living with dementia, hear from those who have taken the Dementia Friendly Communities™ training.

Joan Regan - Care Partner - Shoes

Joan Regan - Care Partner - At the cash

Joan Regan, Care Partner - A tire story

Gilbert Arial - Living with dementia

Wayne Markell ACP, Cornwall SDG Paramedic Services

Staff Sergeant George Knezevic - Cornwall Community Police Services

Deniz Bokesoy - Ottawa Public Library

Suzie Pilon, Owner - Pharmacist, Medical Arts Pharmacy

Louise et François Lussier

Louise et François Lussier - La quincaillerie

Louise et François Lussier - L' aéroport

Guy Lauzon, Member of Parliament - Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry

Kelly Burgess, Manager, Scotiabank, Deep River

Sabiha Azizullah - Care Partner - Respecting Cultural Differences

Bruce Henbest, Upper Canada Village

Mayor Leslie O'Shaughnessy - Cornwall

Laurie Hagan & Charlene Upper - RBC Cornwall

Suzie Pilon - Pharmacienne - Propriétaire - Pharmacie Medical Arts

Bernadette Clement - Roy McMurtry (SDG) Legal Clinic

Bernadette Clement - Roy McMurtry (SDG) Legal Clinic

Laurie Kennedy - Dignity Memorial

Roger Marple - How to be Dementia Friendly

Roger Marple - A Dementia Friendly Story

Dementia Friendly Communities: Cornwall and District