By Sandy Quadros Bowles

Editor

Treating people with dignity. Taking time to really listen. Showing respect.

Those are a few of the things people can do to interact in a dignified manner with people diagnosed with dementia.

And that message is one that a newly formed action team hopes to share with the town as Natick works to become a dementia-friendly community.

By earning this designation, Natick would become one of a growing number of cities and towns that are committed to providing a safe and respectful environment for people with dementia.

The goals of dementia-friendly communities include increasing awareness of people living with dementia and understanding of brain health and risk reduction; working with public, private and not-for-profit sectors to better serve people with dementia and their caregivers and creating a welcoming social and cultural environment and an improved physical environment in public places,  according to Dementia Friendly America.

Training in Natick will begin with team members and then expand to town employees and members of the business community. The information can be particularly relevant to members of the police and fire departments and staff members at the library, who frequently interact with people diagnosed with dementia.

The number of people diagnosed with dementia is growing, said Debra Budd, assistant director of services and outreach for the Natick Council on Aging and Human Services.

Awareness of the needs of a person with dementia can help people can better interact with them. Patience is key, said Katie Carew, outreach coordinator for the Natick Council on Aging and Human Services.

Dementia patients may “take a little longer to answer things,’’ she said. It can take 20 seconds for a response, for example, which Budd acknowledged “can feel like a lifetime’’ in a busy world. 

But the patience allows a person with dementia to feel acknowledged, she said. At times, she said, people can see a dementia patient and a caregiver and direct their conversation strictly to the caregiver.

This is where “understanding how to communicate’’ matters, Carew said. “A person with dementia is still a person who deserves to be respected.’’

The process of securing the designation in Natick is just beginning, but community input will be crucial as the team does its work. “As time goes on, if business and community members want to share their thoughts and ideas, we will want to hear it,’’ she said. “The more input, the better. We don’t want to do this in a vacuum.’’

The Council on Aging already sponsors a memory café to provide support and outreach to people with Alzheimer’s/dementia and their caregivers.

The café meets the third Thursday of every month from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The café, which is open to people with Alzheimer’s/dementia, provides lunch, entertainment, and, perhaps most importantly, “a safe place’’ for people to interact.

The music can be especially impactful, Budd said. “Music seems to be what they really enjoy,’’ she said. 

“We may not get that verbal feedback’’ from dementia patients, Carew said. “But seeing their faces light up as they dance in their chairs is really moving to see.’’

Caregivers can also benefit from the café, she said, by having “social interaction relationships with others going through similar situations,’’ Budd said. “We’ve seen social interaction increase tremendously.’’

The café and the dementia friendly designation have a common denominator.

The ultimate goal, Budd said, is to allow people with dementia to “feel like they’re a part of the community. ‘’

Even with the challenges of dementia, with support and understanding, “people can live a full life.’’

To register for memory café, call 508-647-6540, ext. 1908. Anyone in need of support can call the information referral line at 508-647-6519. To learn more about Dementia Friendly Communities, visit dfamerica.org.