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Dementia Friendly Evanston

Dementia FriendlyMission & Vision

The mission for the Dementia-Friendly Evanston Initiative is to maximize the quality of life, community participation, and independence for Evanstonians living with dementia and their care partners through community-wide education, outreach, and advocacy.

Our vision is to create a welcoming and barrier-free community for individuals with dementia and their care partners through collaboration, compassion, support, and stigma reduction.

History

The Dementia-Friendly Evanston Initiative (DFEI) was initially established through the Age-Friendly Evanston Task Force. The Task Force's mandate was to make recommendations regarding the creation and implementation of a city-wide action plan based on the objectives of World Health Organization’s (WHO) Age-friendly Cities Framework. This program is an international effort to help prepare for a global demographic trend: the rapid aging of populations. It is estimated that by 2025, the number of people aged 65 and older with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias in the United States will exceed 7 million, an increase of about 40% from the 5.1 million affected in 2015. It is estimated by WHO that there will be 115 million people living with dementia worldwide by 2050.

Since the Age-Friendly Task Force concluded its work, DFEI has been incorporated into the Senior Services division of Evanston’s Health and Human Services Department. DFEI is also part of Dementia Friendly America and Dementia Friendly Illinois, national and regional networks of communities, organizations, and individuals seeking to ensure that communities across the country are equipped to support people living with dementia and their care partners through meaningful engagement of all community sectors including but not limited to local government, banks and financial institutions, libraries, faith-based communities, etc.

What We Do

DFEI strives to engage all of the DFA community sectors in implementing best practices to support those with dementia, their families, and care partners through the following committees:

  • Programs and Education: Plan, generate, conduct, and oversee regularly-occurring educational events such as the Evanston Memory Cafés, while also helping maintain the Dementia Resource Center at the Evanston Public Library;
  • Special Events: Plan, conduct, and oversee special events such as the annual DFEI Symposium; and
  • Outreach: Publicize regular and special events through electronic and print media; recruit new members and promote awareness of DFEI.

DFEI also maintains a comprehensive resource page containing items of interest for persons and care partners of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, as well as information on support groups, quality of life, and research programs. This page is updated as new information becomes available.

Interested in Joining?

Once your application is reviewed, you will be contacted by a member of DFEI with more information.

DFEI meetings are held virtually on the second Tuesday of every other month at 1 p.m. Subcommittee meetings are held on the second Tuesday of intervening months at 1 p.m. For more information about the Dementia-Friendly Evanston Initiative, please contact the City of Evanston's Senior Services office at 847-866-2919.

Other ways to get involved

You don't have to be a member of the DFEI to support and advocate for those who have dementia! Some additional ways you can get involved are as follows:

For more opportunities and information, please see the Dementia-Friendly Evanston Resource page.