News From Your Neighbors – Neighbors Who Care, Inc.

Save the Date: Neighbors Who Care to Host Fall Conference

Jennifer Gustafson, Community Engagement Manager

Details are still underway for Neighbors Who Care’s first-ever fall conference.

Who: Anyone who wants to be better prepared for an Extraordinary Aging Future (for you or your parents). Seating is limited.

What: An Informative, helpful, and lively take on aging well with expert presenters (Hint: There’s also going to be laughs at the conclusion of the conference that you won’t want to miss!)

In addition, representatives from a variety of senior service businesses and agencies will be on hand to provide resources to help you properly prepare for the golden years. Trust us, it is so much easier to learn what’s available ahead of time than to have to figure things out in a moment’s notice.

A light breakfast and snacks will be provided.

When: Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021. Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m. Conference ends at 1 p.m.

Where: Tumbleweed Recreation Center, 745 E Germann Road, Chandler, Ariz.

Cost: Free for all attendees

Registration: Coming soon! In the meantime, mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details and registration information.

Attendees and Potential Vendors: To get on our mailing list, contact Neighbors Who Care at 480-895-7133, x170.

“Aging Made Easier: What you need to know, before you need to know it!”

The Benefits of a Dementia Friendly Sun Lakes

Elaine Poker-Yount

Are you wondering, “What’s this all about? What IS this?” Let’s start with a definition of what it means to be Dementia Friendly. “A dementia friendly community is a village, town, city, or county that is informed, safe, and respectful of individuals with the disease, their families, and caregivers, and provides supportive options that foster quality of life. Joining DFA (Dementia Friendly America) means a community is engaging in a process to become more dementia friendly.” Source: www.dfamerica.org.

The Creative Engagement Partners (CEP), a local non-profit committed to providing opportunity for fellowship, engagement, and education for families living with memory loss, is also committed to and working toward getting Sun Lakes designated as a “Dementia Friendly” community. CEP is committed to erasing the stigma of dementia and providing avenues for understanding and more successful connections and interactions for families living with this reality.

Our goal is to meet with community stakeholders: banking personnel, leaders, local business managers, owners, and residents to share the benefits of supporting this mission to bring a better quality of life to those families living under the umbrella of dementia in the Greater Southeast Valley area. A little bit of knowledge and understanding can go a very long way when interacting with people living with dementia (PLwD).

Once both residents and community businesses understand the resources available to families living with memory loss, we’ll begin to break down the isolation, the fear, and the embarrassment families are currently facing. An open conversation will begin, and we can move forward, understanding and connecting with these neighbors in a more straight-forward and dignified manner.

For more detailed information, please join us at the Neighbors Who Care office at 10450 E. Riggs Road in Suite 113 in Sun Lakes at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 12. RSVP to [email protected] or call 480-203-8548. We look forward to seeing you there. Please feel free to reach out with questions.