Dementia Friends
The Dementia Friends program is a global movement that is changing the way people think, act, and talk about dementia.
Each month, the DEER Program hosts two 90-minute Dementia Friends Information Sessions, one in English, and one in Spanish. These welcoming, informal sessions aim to equip community members with a level of knowledge and comfort regarding dementia that will inspire them to walk toward people living with dementia rather than walk away.
In these sessions, we discuss:
Six key messages about dementia
Dementia risk reduction
How dementia differs from normal aging
Effective communication strategies
Practical actions to help people who are living with dementia in our communities
To date, we have welcomed over 1,700 Dementia Friends in Nevada!
These sessions aim to equip community members with a level of knowledge and comfort regarding dementia that will inspire them to walk toward people living with dementia who need support, rather than walk away.
Host a Dementia Friends Information Session
We are also available to facilitate sessions on demand, online or in-person, in English or Spanish! If your organization or group is interested in hosting a Dementia Friends Information Session, we’d love to partner with you!
Become a Dementia Friends Champion
Interested in facilitating the Dementia Friends Information Session yourself? The program follows a clear and easy-to-use train-the-trainer model; no dementia expertise is required. We welcome you to become a Dementia Friends Champion so you can bring the Dementia Friends Information Session to your community whenever and however often you would like!
Capacity Building
Interested in hosting a Dementia Friends Information Session or become a Dementia Friends Champion?
Dementia Friends for American Indian and Alaska Native Communities
In collaboration with the International Association for Indigenous Aging (IA2) and a workgroup of indigenous people from across the continental United States and Alaska, the DEER Program helped lead a cultural translation of Dementia Friends program materials for indigenous people. This program uses culturally tailored examples, imagery, and vocabulary, and incorporates information about brain health and dementia risk reduction.
Click here to learn about upcoming sessions of the Dementia Friends for American Indian and Alaska Native Communities program through IA2.
Here is a story entitled, The River, which describes the progress of dementia:
