LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — City leaders and community advocates gathered at the Lexington Senior Center Thursday night as they discussed their goal to make Lexington a “dementia friendly” city.
Dementia Friendly America is a nationwide movement that works to ensure communities are equipped to support people living with dementia, as well as their caregivers.
“Sometimes it’s just the simple things that make a person feel more comfortable,” said Virginia Bell, a retired social worker.
Bell is the co-creator of the “Best Friend Approach,” a model that develops interventions to help people with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia live a more dignified life.
“That is what a person needs most: a good friend,” Bell said. “They need a relationship.”
Sitting in groups, elder care advocates and other community members collaborated on ideas to educate their neighbors on how to best engage with someone with dementia.
