Dementia Friends Receives Grant from Jefferson Regional to Serve the South Hills

Some of the 100 new Dementia Friends and 50 new Dementia Champions in York and Adams County trained in March.

Dementia Friends Pennsylvania, a program of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, has received a $25,000 grant from the Jefferson Regional Foundation Board of Directors.

The grant will help fund Dementia Friends Pennsylvania to empower the South Hills and lower Mon Valley communities to become informed, safe, and inclusive of individuals living with dementia, their families, and caregivers. The grant begins on April 1.

JHF serves as the state coordinator and holds the sub-license for Dementia Friends Pennsylvania. An outreach of Dementia Friendly America, this initiative seeks to educate communities across the state about dementia, break down the stigma surrounding dementia, and encourage individuals to implement practical changes to best support people living with dementia and those around them to live well in their communities.

Since July 2018, nearly 900 individuals across the state have become Dementia Friends by participating in a 60-minute information session. The education sessions are open to people of all ages, anywhere in the community: workplaces, businesses, schools, faith-based communities, and libraries, to name a few.

The program is run by two members of the JHF Senior Connections Staff: Anneliese Perry, MS, NHA, CECM, and Stacie Bonenberger, MOT, OTR/L. They serve as the Dementia Friends Pennsylvania statewide coordinators and master trainers.

If you are interested in learning more about the initiative, please contact Anneliese or Stacie at info@dementiafriendspa.org.