Dementia Friends Contract Renewed Through 2022

A September 2020 Information Session was held for staff at Jefferson Hospital by Dementia Friends Champion and Jefferson Hospital nurse Kathryn Lawrence, MSN, RN-BC, pictured on the far left.

Dementia Friends Pennsylvania will continue to expand its efforts over the next year. The Jewish Healthcare Foundation, which serves as the state administrator for the program, has received renewed funding of nearly $90,000 from the PA Department of Aging to empower communities in Pennsylvania to become informed, safe, and respectful of individuals living with dementia, their families, and care partners.

With the leadership and expertise of JHF Senior Quality Improvement Specialists Stacie Bonenberger, MOT, OTR/L, and Anneliese Perry, MS, NHA, Dementia Friends Pennsylvania will continue to provide Information Sessions to community members and collaborate with the PA Department of Aging and the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders State Task Force to determine readiness and willingness of communities to join the Dementia Friends Pennsylvania Initiative.

This grant period also will have a focus on diversity. Dementia Friends Pennsylvania will work with local and statewide organizations to identify Champions from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds who can offer Information Sessions in the most commonly spoken languages in Pennsylvania. This builds on Dementia Friends' recent efforts to translate educational materials into these languages.

The renewed contract also includes funding for communications, which will be used to revise and update the Dementia Friends Five Key Messages Video to be more inclusive and represent individuals from Pennsylvania and to develop marketing and outreach materials directed at underserved communities to ensure access to Information Sessions.