A University’s Role in Developing a Regional Network of Dementia Friendly Communities
Abstract
1. Introduction
1.1. Dementia Care and Stigma Concerns
1.2. The Importance of Community Engagement
1.2.1. Dementia Friendly America
1.2.2. A University’s Role
1.3. The Current Project/Purpose
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Network Development
Description of Participating Communities
2.2. Retrospective Evaluation Methods
3. Results
3.1. Adherence to the DFC Community Change Process
3.1.1. Phase One: Convene
3.1.2. Phase Two: Engage
3.1.3. Phase Three: Analyze
Cohort and Community Identifier | DFA Community Engagement Tool | BKAD | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Sectors | Participants | Sectors | Participants | |
1A | 3 | 9 | 7 | 27 |
1B | 4 | 14 | 8 | 35 |
2A | 1 | 1 | 6 | 21 |
2B | 3 | 18 | 5 | 12 |
3A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
3B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
4A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
4B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
3.1.4. Phase Four: Act
3.2. Adherence to DFC Guiding Principles
3.2.1. Principle One
3.2.2. Principle Two
3.3. Alignment with National DFC Efforts
- Increase awareness and understanding of dementia and PLWD
- Address the changing needs of PLWD and care partners.
- Increase awareness and understanding of brain health and risk reduction
- Improve the physical environment in public places.
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Cohort and Community Identifier | Date of DFC Designation | Population Density * | Medical Designation * | Original Geographic Scope | Sector Represented by the DFC Coordinator ** |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1A | January 2021 | Rural | MUA | Town | AAA |
1B | January 2021 | Rural | MUA | Town | AAA |
2A | February 2022 | Rural | MUA | Town | LTC |
2B | December 2021 | Urban | Not MUA | Neighborhood | University |
3A | October 2022 | Urban | Mixed | Neighborhood | LTC |
3B | December 2022 | Urban | Not MUA | County | LTC |
4A | November 2023 | Rural | Not MUA | County | LTC |
4B | May 2024 | Mixed | Mixed | County | LTC |
DFA Model Step | Key GWEP DFC Activities | University Technical Support |
---|---|---|
Step 1: Convene key community leaders and members, known as an action team, to understand dementia effects |
|
|
Step 2: Engage key leaders to conduct a community assessment of the factors supportive of PLWD and those that are barriers |
|
|
Step 3: Analyze assessment results to determine stakeholder issues and set community goals |
|
|
Step 4: Create a community action plan that includes specific objectives, activities, leadership, and timelines |
|
|
DFC | PLWD Representation | Caregiver Representation |
---|---|---|
1A | 1 | 1 |
1B | 1 | 2 |
2A | 0 | 0 |
2B | 0 | 1 |
3A | 0 | 0 |
3B | 0 | 0 |
4A | 0 | 0 |
4B | 0 | 3 |
Community Identifier | Number of Action Team Members | Number of Sectors Represented | Geographic Scope |
---|---|---|---|
1A | 17 | 6 | County |
1B | 11 | 6 | County |
2A | 11 | 4 | City |
2B | 6 | 2 | (Merged with 3A) |
3A | 11 | 5 | County |
3B | 13 | 5 | County |
4A | 14 | 4 | County |
4B | 8 | 3 | County |
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Standiford Reyes, L.; Ehlman, M.C.; Leahy, S.; Lawrence, R. A University’s Role in Developing a Regional Network of Dementia Friendly Communities. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22, 721. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22050721
Standiford Reyes L, Ehlman MC, Leahy S, Lawrence R. A University’s Role in Developing a Regional Network of Dementia Friendly Communities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2025; 22(5):721. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22050721
Chicago/Turabian StyleStandiford Reyes, Laurel, M. C. Ehlman, Suzanne Leahy, and Reagan Lawrence. 2025. "A University’s Role in Developing a Regional Network of Dementia Friendly Communities" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 22, no. 5: 721. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22050721
APA StyleStandiford Reyes, L., Ehlman, M. C., Leahy, S., & Lawrence, R. (2025). A University’s Role in Developing a Regional Network of Dementia Friendly Communities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(5), 721. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22050721