Dementia Friendly Services receives 5HF grant to expand in our area

by Sara Swanson

The Dementia Friendly movement in Chelsea, part of Dementia Friendly Services (DFS), has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the 5 Healthy Towns Foundation (5HF) to continue spreading dementia friendliness through not only Chelsea, but also Dexter, Manchester, Grass Lake and Stockbridge.

This is the second 5HF grant that DFS has received. DFS states, “Under the grant, Dementia Friendly Services personnel will also work to develop dementia-friendly community efforts in the other towns covered by the Foundation: Manchester, Grass Lake, and Stockbridge. Much of this work in the western county meshes with Dementia Friendly Saline, Dementia Friendly Milan, and other efforts building toward a goal of Dementia Friendly Washtenaw County.”

Dementia Friendly Services, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 2020 as Dementia Friendly Saline, offers a suite of a dozen programs all focused on the mission of helping persons with Alzheimer’s or other dementia and their caregivers live out in their communities with less difficulty and more dignity. Programs include education and awareness raising through classes, documentaries, and social impact theater productions. Also offered are several social engagement and support programs for persons dealing with dementia, such as the first-in-the-U.S. Dementia Friendly Movies at Saline’s Emagine Theatre, and a series of Memory Cafes in several locations.

Visit www.dfsmi.org for more information.

by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and a founder of the Manchester Mirror.