On Wednesday, April 17, 2019, Bladen County hosted a Lunch & Learn for employees to attend to learn more about the Bladen County Dementia Friendly initiative, and to become a Dementia Friend.
Twenty-three county employees were in attendance at the NC Cooperative Extension from several agencies including the Cooperative Extension, Bladen County DSS, Health Department, Information Technology, Environmental Health, Soil & Water Conservation, Planning, Library, Administration, Finance, and the Tax Office. Attendants learned about the different types of dementia; the stigma associated with the disease, and the need to change the way we think about people living with dementia. Other topics of discussion were: Normal aging versus Alzheimer ’s disease; 10 early signs and symptoms, Effective Communication, and the 5 Key Messages of the Dementia Friendly initiative.
Attendants participated in interactive activities that shows the complexity of everyday tasks we do without even thinking, and were able to understand the difficulties for individuals living with Alzheimer’s or Dementia. Lastly attendants committed to a few simple actions to take back to their communities to help spread the initiative and encourage others to become a Bladen County Dementia Friend.
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