Dementia Friendly South Loop, a designated Dementia Friendly Neighborhood by Dementia Friendly America is committed to raising community awareness and understanding of this challenging disease. We will accomplish this by providing our neighbors, including residents, businesses, governmental and faith communities with information about the realities of living with dementia.
Our commitment to our community is to provide resources in support of persons living with dementia, both patients and their care partners, while helping to reduce the stigma of this disease.
Dementia Friendly South Loop Activities
A Memory Café is a prime example of Dementia Friendly practices.
The co-chairs of the DF South Loop task force are trained Dementia Champions.
In the course of our recruitment efforts, the Dementia Friendly South Loop Task Force has disseminated information regarding Dementia Friends and Sector Guides throughout our community.
Recruitment for Dementia Friends training began in January of 2020 but suspended when the pandemic prevented in person training. Recruitment will resume in February 2021.
Training on Dementia Friends and guidelines for Residential and Specialty Care with staff and mid-level managers at Mercy Housing.
Training for local faith communities with the plan for delivery via Zoom during January, 2021. “Dementia Friendly Faith Communities Healing Together” is being offered in conjunction with Old St. Mary’s Catholic Church Parish Council. We are targeting seven faith communities in South Loop. This builds on previous interfaith activity in South Loop. It is also in the spirit of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s initiative of “Together We Heal.” Specifically using collaboration on community service to bring diverse peoples together.
Working with the CPD First District to develop DFA training regarding for first responders.
South Loop Village has been invited to participate in an in-service for all Chicago Public Libraries. The request is to present consecutive workshops throughout the day on Memory Cafes, covering topics such as how to start a Memory Café, elements to include in the activity, how to recruit participants, etc. This activity was scheduled for Spring, 2020, but postponed until 2021 due to the pandemic.
Contact Dementia Friendly South Loop
For information, email Janie Urbanic.