Age & Dementia Friendly Massachusetts

Quarterly DFM Zoom meetings

A member of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Early Stage Advisory Committee will discuss his experiences living with dementia and share ideas about how to be a friend and effective ally. Meghan Lemay, Regional Manager for the Springfield metropolitan area and facilitator of the Early Stage Advisory Committee, will talk about early-stage programs and services offered by the Alzheimer’s Association.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Hayley Wood at Hayley@mcoaonline.org.

Wednesday, July 9, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

All DFM Quarterly Meetings are open to the public.

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MCOA Leads Dementia Friendly MA, Offering Resources and Grants

MCOA is the state lead for the Dementia Friendly Massachusetts (DFM) initiative, a community-based, grassroots movement to grow awareness, services, and infrastructure to support the lives of people living with dementia and their caregivers. Communities often choose to merge DFM goals with corresponding and overlapping goals for network membership in the Age-Friendly Massachusetts movement, which is steered by AARP-MA.

MCOA offers ongoing support in these meaningful endeavors:

One-on-one counseling with COA staff members starting and continuing AF/DF work
Useful step-by-step documents to guide your process
Quarterly DFM meetings with a broad array of colleagues in the field, featuring presentations from experts and highlighted COA leaders who share best practices
Dementia Friendly Massachusetts designation certificates, distributed to MA communities who have signed the DFM Pledge
Continually updated training opportunities, resources, and publications
A current events calendar of relevant, AF/DF virtual and in-person programming in the state
MCOA representation at your DFM Kick-Off Event
Grants for Memory Cafes, AF/DF Programs, Supportive Day Programs, and other COA initiatives that increase quality of life for older adults in Massachusetts
Annual Spring Symposium and Fall Conference sessions featuring presenters who are actively promoting AFDF projects in their communities
A MyMCOA InfoHub Forum for COA staff members involved in AF/DF efforts
A new DFM blog

DFM state leaders have developed a set of steps for joining the dementia friendly network,
as well as a checklist to help communities explore multiple ideas for growing their initiatives.

DFM STEPS

DFM Pledge

DFM Checklist

SUMMARY OF 2024 SURVEY RESULTS

The case for working towards dementia-friendly goals

The most recent estimate we have for people over the age of 65 living with Alzheimer’s in Massachusetts is 135,000 (2020), according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, believed to account for 60-80% of cases. Therefore, it’s likely that over 193,000 people over the age of 65 in Massachusetts live with symptoms of dementia.

While a dementia diagnosis does not need to signal a loss of quality of life or relationships, the degenerative nature of the condition eventually creates a need for caregiving and specialized support in all areas of life. The global dementia friendly movement, led by Dementia Friendly America in the US, advocates for all sectors of communities to proactively plan for supporting people with dementia and their caregivers. This illustration indicates community sectors that the DF movement interacts with in order to increase awareness of and supports for the experience of living with dementia.

Steps for Becoming Dementia Friendly

No community will ever be fully dementia friendly. But every community making progress towards becoming dementia friendly should be recognized and celebrated. Since the Dementia Friendly Massachusetts Initiative began in 2016, communities have received formal recognition for their commitment to becoming dementia friendly.

DFM Steps and DFM Checklist, printable documents

MCOA Members only: MyMCOA InfoHub Discussion Board for Age and Dementia Friendly Communities

Examples of dementia friendly programs and services

While none of these programs are required to be considered dementia-friendly, the following examples have brought positive changes to their communities when implemented.

Supportive Day Programs and Respite Programs
Supportive day programs and respite programs are set in secure locations and are designed to stimulate and engage adults with memory loss through peer socialization and participation in age-appropriate activities. Family members can entrust their loved one to professionals, allowing care partners the opportunity to attend to personal matters. Private organizations as well as select local Councils on Aging offer this service.

Dementia Friends Massachusetts Information Sessions
Dementia Friends Massachusetts promotes dementia awareness by educating individuals on how to be more sensitive and understanding of people with dementia in their community. Read about the differences between the Dementia Friendly Massachusetts and Dementia Friends Massachusetts, here.

Some dementia friendly programming commonly found in MA senior centers:

Memory Cafés
Memory Cafés are events that offer a comfortable setting with activities designed to encourage socialization and acceptance for people experiencing changes in memory and their care partners. Memory Cafés are distinct, offering activities including musical entertainment, education sessions about dementia, and casual conversations. The hosting community determines where the cafe takes place: the local senior center, coffeehouses, museums, or other businesses.

To start a Memory Café in your community, consider using the Memory Café Toolkit, and remember that MCOA’s SIG grants have a Memory Café category.

Pizza & Proxy Parties
A key component of advance planning is determining a health care plan that reflects the desires of the individual. Honoring Choices encourages local governments and businesses to host pizza parties during which residents learn about health care options and identify a health care agent. While Pizza & Proxy Parties are not exclusively for people diagnosed with dementia, it is crucial that recently diagnosed adults determine their intended future care and choose who will represent their interests when they are no longer able.

Support Groups
Support groups are group sessions attended by participants regularly, offering emotional support groups education to people with dementia and/or their caregivers. The intended audience of a support group ranges from people diagnosed with dementia to caregivers to children of people diagnosed. To find a local support group that addresses your needs, visit the Alzheimer’s Association MA/NH Chapter’s support group webpage or call the MA/NH Chapter: 617-686-6718. The Alzheimer’s Association will also offer assistance to communities that wish to start their own support groups.

Transportation Services
Dementia-specific training for employed drivers or volunteer transportation services can address the need for safe transportation options. Your local regional transit authority mostly likely offers a course for van and bus drivers on serving riders with dementia.

Workplace Training
While dementia awareness is universally needed, particular sectors of the community play crucial roles in supporting and addressing the sensitive needs of people with dementia and often encounter community residents living with memory loss. Training can be offered in any workplace but may be considered essential for first responders and law enforcement who may encounter someone with dementia in a state of distress or paranoia.

Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning—thinking, remembering, and reasoning—and behavioral abilities to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities. These functions include memory, language skills, visual perception, problem-solving, self-management, and the ability to focus and pay attention. Some people with dementia cannot control their emotions, and their personalities may change. Dementia ranges in severity from the mildest stage, when it is just beginning to affect a person’s functioning, to the most severe stage, when the person must depend entirely on others for necessary activities of living.

The Alzheimer’s Association reminds us that “Dementia is not a single disease. It’s an overall term to describe a collection of symptoms that one may experience if they are living with a variety of diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. Diseases grouped under the general term “dementia” are caused by abnormal brain changes. Dementia symptoms trigger a decline in thinking skills, also known as cognitive abilities, severe enough to impair daily life and independent function. They also affect behavior, feelings and relationships.”

Signs and symptoms of dementia result when once-healthy neurons (nerve cells) in the brain stop working, lose connections with other brain cells, and die. While everyone loses some neurons as they age, people with dementia experience far greater loss. While dementia is more common as people age (up to half of all people age 85 or older may have some form of dementia), it is not a normal part of aging. Many people live into their 90s and beyond without any signs of dementia.

Alzheimer’s Association: What is Dementia
Alzheimer’s Association: What Causes Memory Loss? Assessing Symptoms and Seeking Help
Alzheimer’s Association: Evaluating Memory and Thinking Problems: What to Expect
Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures (PDF), an annual report released by the Alzheimer’s Association, reveals the burden of Alzheimer’s and dementia on individuals, caregivers, government and the nation’s health care system.
World Health Organization fact sheets on dementia
Mayo Clinic- Dementia Overview

Map of AF/DF Communities (maintained by MHAC)

Agawam	Amesbury	Adams	Agawam
Alford	Arlington	Aquinnah/Gay Head	Athol
Ashfield	Avon	Bedford	Barnstable
Barre	Becket	Belchertown	Bernardston
Billerica	Boston	Bourne	Buckland
Brewster	Brookline	Cheshire	Charlemont
Charlton	Chatham	Chelmsford	Chilmark
Clarksburg	Cohasset	Colrain	Conway
Dalton	Deerfield	Dennis	Dudley
Duxbury	East Bridgewater	East Longmeadow	Eastham
Edgartown	Egremont	Erving	Essex
Fall River	Falmouth	Florida	Franklin
Gill	Gloucester	Great Barrington	Greenfield
Groton	Hadley	Hamilton	Hancock
Harwich	Hatfield	Hawley	Heath
Hinsdale	Holland	Hopkinton	Hudson
Lanesborough	Lee	Lenox	Leverett
Leyden	Longmeadow	Lunenburg	Manchester by the Sea
Mansfield	Marion	Marlborough	Marshfield
Mashpee	Monroe	Monson	Montague
Monterey	Mount Washington	New Ashford	New Marlborough
New Salem	North Adams	Northborough	Northampton
Northfield	Norwell	Norwood	Oak Bluffs
Orange	Orleans	Otis	Palmer
Peru	Petersham	Phillipston	Pittsfield
Plymouth	Provincetown	Reading	Richmond
Rockport	Rowe	Royalston	Sandwich
Savoy	Sharon	Sheffield	Shelburne
Sandisfield	Somerville	South Hadley	Springfield
Shutesbury	Stockbridge	Sturbridge	Sudbury
Sterling	Swampscott	Sunderland	Taunton
Tisbury	Truro	Tyringham	Ware
Warwick	Washington	Wellfleet	Wenham
West Springfield	West Stockbridge	Wendell	West Tisbury
Whatley	Wilbraham	Williamstown	Windsor
Worcester	Yarmouth

Franklin County municipalities

Toolkits, Guides, Support, and Data

Age & Dementia Friendly Integration Toolkit: Community efforts to become age friendly or dementia friendly stem from two separate movements. However, when communities take steps to integrate the work of both movements, they can reduce duplicated efforts, avoid confusion, save resources, and allow each movement to strengthen and support each other.
Dementia Friendly America’s Sector Guides, printable documents and videos that provide insights about challenges people with dementia may face when interacting with these sectors and measures that can be taken to alleviate difficulties.
Alzheimer’s Assoc 24/7 help and support, the 800-272-3900 24/7 helpline, and amazingly rich website full of information, trainings, and access to community-specific services.
MA Healthy Aging Collaborative (MHAC), a nonprofit assisting and amplifying age- and dementia-friendly communities in Massachusetts and leading efforts such as digital equity and the MA Healthy Aging Data Report. MHAC has a searchable resource library.
AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities
AARP Livable Communities
Memory Café Toolkit and Virtual/Hybrid Supplement, developed by Jewish Family & Children’s Service
Dementia-Friendly Transportation: Massachusetts Transit Assistance Programs offer a series of trainings for community drivers, including one on serving riders with disabilities.
Dementia Care Planning Toolkit, written by the Dementia Care Planning Team of the MA Advisory Council for Alzheimer’s Disease and All Other Dementias in February 2025
MCOA Members only: InfoHub AF/DF Forum

Trainings & Presentations

Dementia Friends Massachusetts, a program providing well designed, one-hour dementia-sensitivity trainings via Zoom for anyone who is interested. Trained Dementia Friends can then take a subsequent training to become Dementia Champions, which prepares them to provide Dementia Friends info sessions in their communities. (This is distinct from the Dementia Friendly MA initiative–check out their website to learn more.)

A Public Health Approach to Dementia Curriculum, created by the Alzheimer’s Association

Alzheimer’s Association presentations and training opportunities: Towns can request free, in-person or virtual education programs or presentations from the Alzheimer’s Association MA/NH Chapter. Topics include ten warning signs, understanding Alzheimer’s and dementia, brain health, and caregiving. To request a program or find out more information, please call 617-868-6718 or visit the Request a Speaker page on the chapter’s website.

Alzheimer’s Association’s online training for first responders

Alzheimer’s Association’s “Request a Speaker” program

Alzheimer’s Association’s on-demand education program library

Grants

SIG Field Demonstration Project Grants, EOEA grant funds administered by MCOA.

Categories of SIG grants are subject to change, but the FY25 categories most relevant to DFM work were for Memory Cafés, Age-and Dementia-Friendly initiatives, and Caregiver Respite. The link takes you to an overview of the FY25 grant timeline, which will be similar for FY26.

Prevention, Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Clinical Trials

“Can Alzheimer’s Disease Be Prevented?” Current research and advice from the Alzheimer’s Association
10 Healthy Habits for your Brain
Alzheimer’s Association’s Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI) Road Map
My Healthy Brain Program
Healthy Aging & Nutrition guidance for prevention
Alzheimer’s Association: What Causes Memory Loss? Assessing Symptoms and Seeking Help
Alzheimer’s Association: Early Detection and Diagnosis
Alzheimer’s Association: Evaluating Memory and Thinking Problems: What to Expect
Clinical Trials, Alzheimer’s Association
Clinical Trials, on Alheimers.gov, a web resource maintained by the US Dept. of Human Services

Dementia Friendly Infrastructure

There are well defined design guidelines for making residences and apartment buildings suitable for people living with dementia. They are worth reading for those, like Councils on Aging, who run and maintain Senior Centers.

Age and Dementia Friendly Design Considerations for Physical Infrastructure, prepared by the MA Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Disease and All Other Dementias, published in 2022
Best Practices for Dementia-Friendly Emergency Shelters (Access to PDF document coming soon)

Podcasts, Video, and Publications

Podcasts

Speaking of Alzheimer’s is a podcast produced by the New England region of the Alzheimer’s Association and hosted by Kristin Cusato, Director of Communications for the Alzheimer’s Association, CT Chapter. Kristen and her guests have conversations with people living with dementia, their caregivers, researchers, and others, exploring a range of topics and experiences.
Dementia Untangled is a podcast (episodes are around a half hour) that explores unique topics related to dementia through conversations with physicians, experts, and community leaders.
For a first-hand account about living with dementia, explore The Forgetting, a podcast co-hosted by esteemed experts, David Shenk and Greg O’Brien. In 2009 O’Brien was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and through this podcast, describes his daily experiences living with the disease.

Podcasts for people with dementia

The Dementia Action Alliance produces and hosts four podcasts: Professional Insights, This Dementia Life, Calling all Voices, and Special Features.
Visit the DFM Youtube Channel for playlists that further explore dementia and the importance of dementia-friendly communities in supporting the independence of people with dementia.
The ReiMAgine Aging podcast tells the story of the age- and dementia-friendly movement taking place across Massachusetts. The Commonwealth joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities in 2018. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Aging & Independence collaborated with the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative to highlight local efforts and report on the progress to become an Age- and Dementia-Friendly Commonwealth. Listen to the stories below to hear the voices that make our communities a great place to grow up and grow older.

Publications: Journals, Articles, Reports, and Plans

The Alzheimer’s Association offers downloadable PDFs about a wide range of topics related to Alzheimer’s and all other dementia.
American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and other Dementias
Geriatric Mental Health Care Journal
Innovation in Aging (journal)
“Organizational Characteristics of Senior Centers and Engagement in Dementia-Friendly Communities,” Innovation in Aging, 2023, 7, by Clara J. Scher, Ceara Somerville, Emily A. Greenfield, and Caitlin Coyle
Age-Friendly Massachusetts Action Plan 2019
World Health Organization: Global action plan on the public health response to dementia 2017-2025

Partner organizations

DFM Leadership Team

Madeline “Maddie” Noonan, Assistant Director, MCOA, madeline@mcoaonline.org

Hayley Wood, Economic Security & Outreach Manager, MCOA, hayley@mcoaonline.org

Elizabeth “Betsy” Connell, Executive Director, MCOA, elizabeth@mcoaonline.org

Caitlin Coyle, Director, Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging, Gerontology Institute, UMass Boston, caitlin.coyle@umb.edu

James Fuccione, Senior Director, Massachusetts Health Aging Collaborative, james.fuccione@mahealthyaging.org

Pam MacLeod, Senior Program Development Associate, Massachusetts Executive Office of Aging & Independence, pam.macleod@state.ma.us

Nicole McGurin, Programs & Services Director, Alzheimer’s Association Massachusetts New Hampshire Chapter, nmcGurin@alz.org

Beth Soltzberg, Director of Jewish Family & Children’s Service Alzheimer’s/Related Disorders Family Support, bsoltzberg@jfcsboston.org

Crystal Polizzotti, CDP, Director, Family Caregiver Support Program, AgeSpan, cpolizzotti@agespan.org

Antron Watson, Age Friendly Director, AARP Massachusetts, awatson@aarp.org

DFM Blog

June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month!

by Hayley Wood | May 8, 2025 | Age & Dementia Friendly | 0 Comments

Did you know that June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month? Check out the special resources created by the Alzheimer's Association!

The Benefits of Physical Activity for Older Adults

by Tara Hammes | May 6, 2025 | Age & Dementia Friendly, Healthy Aging | 0 Comments

As we age, staying physically active is one of the best ways to maintain overall health, independence, and quality of life. Regular physical activity helps older adults stay strong, mobile, and mentally sharp. While aging naturally brings changes to the body, exercise...

Alzheimer’s Association Program: LGBTQIA+ Panel Discussion

by Hayley Wood | March 31, 2025 | Age & Dementia Friendly | 0 Comments

Free CEUs! This session will feature a panel discussion of LGBTQIA+ caregivers providing insights on how to offer culturally sensitive care to this unique population.

Building an Age and Dementia Friendly Community: It Takes a Village (and a Region!)

by Paula Hersey | February 20, 2025 | Age & Dementia Friendly, Aging Matters Newsletter, Healthy Aging | 0 Comments

A Conversation with James Fuccione of the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative When it comes to creating communities where older adults can thrive, James Fuccione, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative, emphasizes one key ingredient:...

Living Well After the Diagnosis

by Hayley Wood | January 9, 2025 | Age & Dementia Friendly | 0 Comments

Are you looking for a way to learn directly from people living with dementia? Here’s a special opportunity, specifically for people with early state dementia and their caregivers, but open to all.