Dementia Friends is part of a global movement that is changing the way people think, act, and talk about dementia. Anyone can be a Dementia Friend! We can all have a part to play in creating dementia friendly communities.
A Dementia Friend is someone who, through viewing a series of online videos or attending a live interactive session, learns about what it’s like to live with dementia and then turns that understanding into action. From telling friends about the Dementia Friends program to visiting someone who is living with dementia, every action counts!
This DFNY (Dementia Friends New York) statewide initiative is possible because the participating organizations across New York State share the same vision of a Dementia Friendly New York.
Thanks to the leadership of several key organizations, DFNY has the support to build the capacity of community organizations throughout New York to implement this initiative in their communities.
New York State Office for the Aging: NYSOFA’s home and community-based programs provide older adults with access to a well-planned, coordinated package of in-home and other supportive services designed to support and supplement informal care. Their overall goal is to improve access to, and availability of, appropriate and cost-effective non-medical support services for older individuals to maximize their ability to age in their community and avoid higher levels of care and publicly financed care. NYSOFA achieves this through their network of 59 area agencies on aging.
New York State Department of Health: The NYSDOH Alzheimer’s Disease Program’s Regional Caregiver Support Initiative is a network of ten organizations across NYS which have developed programs that support caregivers who care for New Yorkers living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). The programs offer evidenced based or evidenced informed strategies and initiatives to develop a robust and innovative array of core caregiver support services in all 62 counties of NYS. Presbyterian Senior Services (PSS) has been a recipient of the Caregiver Support Initiative grant in 2015 and 2022. The NYSDOH Alzheimer’s Disease Program continues to work with and support their efforts to make New York a more dementia friendly state.
The Association on Aging in New York represents New York State’s 59 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), also known as the Offices for the Aging (OFAs), throughout New York State. The Association provides advocacy, education, and other capacity-building opportunities to these AAAs.
Participating organizations across New York State have been equipped and trained to provide Dementia Friends information sessions both in-person and virtually online. These one-hour sessions are informative and interactive discussions led by a trained Dementia Friends Champion. Attendees will learn what dementia is and some tips for communicating with people who have dementia. Attendees will also learn what it is like to live with the disease. Everyone who attends is asked to turn their new understanding of dementia into a practical action that can help someone living with dementia in their own community. You do not need to know someone with dementia or be a dementia expert to become a Dementia Friend.
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NY Connects is your trusted place to go for free, unbiased information about long term services and supports in New York State for people of all ages or with any type of disability.
Trualta helps caregivers learn skills to manage care, provided for FREE by NYSOFA & Aging-NY, by preventing unwanted trips to the hospital with safety & injury prevention, creating meaningful activities using grief tips to cope with pain, change, and loss and more.
ARCHANGELS Caregiver Intensity Index
Partnership with ARCHANGELS provides the “Caregiver Intensity Index” to Caregivers to Engage Caregivers, Assess the Intensity of Their Experience and Connect Them to Resources.
Resource Guide for Caregivers in the Workplace
New York State recognizes the value of caregivers and has worked to address caregiver needs across the state. Under New York is leading efforts to incorporate healthy aging into all aspects of government work. Recent investments in caregiving services have been unprecedented, and the Resource Guide for Businesses is part of those efforts.
The ADEAR Center offers information on diagnosis, treatment, patient care, caregiver needs, long-term care, and research and clinical trials related to Alzheimer’s disease. Staff can refer you to local and national resources, or you can search for information on the website.
Explore the Alzheimers.gov portal for information and resources on Alzheimer’s and related dementias caregiving from across the federal government.
Alzheimer’s Association | Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia Help
The Alzheimer’s Association offers information, a help line, and support services to people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers. Local chapters across the country offer support groups, including many that help with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.
Caregivers often need information about community resources, such as home care, adult day care, and nursing homes. Contact the Eldercare Locator to find these resources in your area.
PSS Life! University offers a rich schedule of community education presentation and workshops for our clients, caregivers, members and the broader older adult community. PSS partners with highly qualified content partner experts to deliver a wide variety of educational content and activities, both in-person and via our online portal.
PSS is honored to serve as the New York State Lead for the Dementia Friends USA initiative. PSS is an innovative, multi-service nonprofit 501(c)(3) agency whose mission is to strengthen the capacity of older New Yorkers, their families, and communities to thrive.
PSS is extremely pleased to launch the Dementia Friends initiative across the state in collaboration with New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA), Association on Aging in New York (Aging NY) and New York State Department of Health.