Ashland to Become a Dementia-Friendly Town Like Cancer, Dementia Touches Everyone

Ashland is on its way to becoming a designated dementia-friendly town.
Last spring Ashland senior center director Joanne Duffy learned about a program, COME 2 B Dementia Friendly, that will help the community recognize individuals with dementia and have successful interactions with them. She pulled together a committee that will survey businesses and individuals, and then from the data, decide how to proceed, such as plan trainings, create a website with resources and present the results to the community.
“This program is for people who touch the public on a regular basis,” Steve Mitchell, a selectman and an Ashland dementia-friendly program committee member, said. “We want to educate businesses and individuals—beauticians, restaurants and gas stations, bank and town hall employees, and police and fire departments—to help them identify the signs of dementia and have successful interactions. Like cancer, dementia touches every family.”
A dementia-friendly community is defined by CareGiving MetroWest, a nonprofit organization located in Marlborough, as informed, safe and respectful of individuals with dementia and their families and caregivers, and provides supportive options that foster quality of life.
The committee, co-chaired by Duffy and Mitchell, is comprised of the following community members: Fran Blake, Diane Hanson, Ruth Remington, Susan Robie, Mary Mortenson, Susan Wells, Jenn Ball, Beth Reynolds and Jennifer Weulfing.
The COME 2 B Dementia Friendly program was started by BayPath Elder Services, Inc., with funding in part from the MetroWest Health Foundation. BayPath, which is replicating the ACT on Alzheimer’s initiative in Minnesota, has begun the process of creating dementia-friendly communities in Metrowest. Ashland will join these other communities: Northborough, Marlborough, Hudson and Westborough. BayPath is providing these communities with administrative and training support.
Duffy said the first stage of the project is to survey local businesses, town government and community organizations. The surveys, which are lengthy and thorough, will be completed in November. BayPath will then compile the results and the Ashland committee will work on actions early next year.
Number of Americans with Dementia Growing
The number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease is growing — and growing fast, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. An estimated 5.5 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s disease. Of the estimated 5.5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2017, an estimated 5.3 million are age 65 and older and approximately 200,000 individuals are under age 65 and have younger-onset Alzheimer’s. As many as 16 million will have the disease in 2050.
In Massachusetts, Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death.
There are approximately 3,500 people in Ashland who are 60 years and older, though the number of people with dementia living in Ashland is unknown, according to the senior center.
Ashland Support Programs
Susan Wells, leader of the caregiver support group and a certified dementia practitioner, explained, “There are at least nine types of dementia. Dementia can result from age, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, and brain injury, for example. Early onset, which can start in a person’s 50s or 60s, is particularly difficult.”
Wells holds a caregiver support group at the senior center two times each month, where half of the six to 10 people attending are caring for a loved one with dementia.
In addition to the support group, Wells also runs a program started a year ago, called Two Together, that matches a volunteer buddy with someone with dementia who is attending an activity at the senior center. Before the individuals are matched, the senior center trains the volunteer buddy and conducts an assessment of the participant and caregiver.
“Any stimulation is important and can help slow down the progression of the disease,” Wells said.
To become a volunteer buddy or to find out more about the support programs, contact Wells directly at (508) 532-7945.
Duffy, who has been the senior center director for 15 years, said that when there is a need, the people of Ashland are there to help each other.