FDL Senior Center Becomes Dementia Friendly

In the photo: The staff of the Fond du Lac Senior Center becomes dementia-friendly through the Fond du Lac Dementia Friendly Task Force specialized training to better communicate with individuals who may have dementia. (Left to right – Front row: Christina Thor, Mary Otterstatter and Cathy Loomans; Back row: Vicki Wiesner, Pat Heyer, Sarah Docter and Katie Fischer)


The Fond du Lac Senior Center staff has participated in the Dementia Friendly Community training and is now recognized as a Dementia Friendly Business. 

 

The Fond du Lac Dementia Friendly Task Force work with area businesses to provide employees with specialized training to see the signs of, understand the needs of and respond appropriately to someone who may have dementia. They aim to educate the community by increasing awareness and understanding of dementia-type diseases, decrease the stigma of the disease, foster community involvement and improve the lives of those living with dementia – where the person would be noticed, understood and accepted.

 

Once a local business has gone through the training, they receive a Purple Angel decal – an international sign that a business is “dementia-friendly.”

 

With an estimated 120,000 individuals living with dementia in Wisconsin and over 2,200 in Fond du Lac County, there is a need to educate our community to recognize and serve this population with dignity and respect.

 

If you would like to participate in the Fond du Lac Dementia Friendly Task Force, learn more about its efforts or donate to the cause, please visit dementiafriendlyfdl.com or call (920) 322-3632.

 

The Fond du Lac Senior Center is a community focal point and meeting place for people 50 years of age and older, and offers a variety of activities including, social and recreational activities, educational programs, a travel department and gift shop.

 

For more information about the FDL Senior Center and/or the FDL Dementia Friendly Task Force, please call (920) 322-3632.