ICRN aims to support the development of at least one Dementia Friends Champion in each of the 13 Planning Service Area in Illinois, and eventually to expand so that multiple Dementia Friends Champions are in each county in Illinois. In large, urban areas of the Illinois, having Dementia Friends Champions for each community/neighborhood will be developed.
The goal is to develop a stable network of Dementia Friends Champions who can facilitate constant training of residents interested in being Dementia Friends.
Dementia Champions Across the State
Tarisha Washington, MS
Where you work: Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center
What Dementia Friendly Community are you a part of: Dementia Friends and Friendly State Lead, Dementia Friendly Austin. Working on task force teams for Washington Heights and Englewood to become Dementia Friendly.
Where are you located for giving talks: Chicagoland/ Cook; virtually
What do you like about Dementia Friends: “Becoming a Dementia Friends gives me an opportunity to share information that is needed in the communities I serve. What I like most about that Dementia Friends/Friends programs is that each community is different. It is important that programming and services reflect the needs of each individual community.”
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Susan Frick, MSW, LSW
Where you work: Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center
What Dementia Friendly Community are you a part of : Dementia Friends and Friendly State Lead, Dementia Friendly Westmont
Where you are located for giving talks: Greater Chicago area and state-wide
What do you like about Dementia Friends: “Dementia Friends helps to begin a conversation about dementia. Families always report what a lonely experience it is to live with dementia and I like that this initiative encourages people to consider how they can support someone living with dementia. For me it’s one of the first community awareness programs which looks at quality of life.”
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Service Area 2: Age Guide, Suburban Chicago Collar Counties
Cherie Aschenbrenner
Where you work: City of Elgin – Senior Liaison
What Dementia Friendly Community are you a part of : Dementia Friendly Elgin Area
Where you are located for giving talks: Elgin and South Elgin
What do you like about Dementia Friends: “Doing presentations to our local businesses, senior living facilities and our police and fire departments. The more education and resources we can provide locally is vital. Everyone knows someone with dementia, so creating this awareness is crucial and to let them know they are not alone and there are people who can help.”
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Amy Cohen
Where you work: I own and operate ACE Senior Care Navigators, a geriatric care management and senior care advising company based on the North Shore of Chicago.
Where you are located for giving talks: I come to you and generally travel within the N/NW Cook county suburbs, northern side of the city, and south Lake County. I can also speak virtually.
What you like about the Dementia Friends program. “It is humbling to be part of a community that supports individuals with dementia and their loved ones. I value the approach that the DF program takes of treating people with dementia from a person-first perspective, with a focus on respect, dignity, and strengths.”
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Glenna Godinsky
Where you work: Manager of Life Enrichment Services at Gail Borden Public Library, Elgin, IL (I design and take monthly library programs and activity kits to 24 senior/developmental care communities in our district, serving around 700 residents/month)
What Dementia Friendly Community are you a part of : Dementia Friendly Elgin Area
Where you are located for giving talks: Elgin and South Elgin
What do you like about Dementia Friends: Dementia Friends brings together community caregivers, those living with dementia, local business leaders, legislators, first responders, healthcare providers, and organizations by creating a shared understanding of what it’s like to have dementia and giving simple steps to take to help. We are reducing the stigma and increasing understanding and support, so no one needs to face dementia alone.
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Emily Mysel, MSW, LCSW
Where you work: Family Service of Glencoe
What Dementia Friendly Community are you a part of: Dementia Friendly Glencoe and West Deerfield Township Dementia FriendlyTown and County
Where you are located for giving talks: Glencoe, IL (Cook) and Deerfield, IL (Lake)
What you like about the Dementia Friends and/or Dementia Friendly programs: “I think it’s vital communities understand how to best support individuals and their families impacted by dementia. We all want to feel connected to the community we live in and by providing resources, support, education and programming that help to increase quality of life and awareness around the disease helps to provide richness, compassion and inclusivity. By creating a Dementia Friendly Community, you are showing your community that you value those living with the disease and by becoming a Dementia Friend you are learning best practices, patience and awareness on ways the community can be more attentive, supportive and caring towards this important population.”
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Susan Wesner
Where you work: Northwestern University·
What Dementia Friendly Community are you part of: Dementia Friendly Elgin Area
What do you like about Dementia Friends: “Dementia Friends and Dementia Friendly programs promote dementia awareness to communities in effort to create safe environments where individuals and families living with dementia can continue to engage and thrive.”
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Service Area 3: Western Illinois Area Agency on Aging
- Holly Brugman
Service Area 5: East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging
Sheila Greuel, MA
Where you work: I am an Independent Consultant Serving East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging as their Community Liaison
What Dementia Friendly Community are you a part of : Working to Develop Dementia Friendly Communities in PSA 05 serving East Central Illinois. I am currently working with the Dementia Friendly Decatur Task Force to help them work through the process and submit an application to join the Dementia Friendly Network. What do you like about Dementia Friends: “Dementia Friends follows my belief that Knowledge is Power. Helping to raise public awareness by speaking publicly about practical ways to become more aware and effectively engage in persons living with dementia in the community, can only help to increase their ability to thrive in the community while having purpose and meaning in their lives. “
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Shannon Nosbisch
Where you work: Co-founder of Effingham Area Alzheimer’s Awareness, a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and support people living with dementia, their families and caregivers.
What Dementia Friendly Community are you a part of: Effingham Area Alzheimer’s Awareness is partnering with Midland Area Agency on Aging to make Effingham County and the City of Effingham a dementia friendly community.
Where you are located for giving talks: Effingham, Fayette, Clay, Cumberland, Jasper, Shelby and Coles Counties
What you like about the Dementia Friends and/or Dementia Friendly programs: “I believe that making communities dementia friendly is extremely important. Families, caregivers and people living with dementia want to lead as normal of a life as possible. If all businesses, agencies, organizations, and people in general are educated about dementia, understand dementia and can communicate with someone with dementia, it makes our communities such a great place to live!!!”
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Service Area 6: West Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging
- Michael Drew
- Mary Crawford
- Venessa Keppner
Service Area 7: Area Agency on Aging for LincolnLand
Audie Jensen
Where you work: AgeLinc
What Dementia Friendly Community are you a part of: Springfield, IL Dementia Friendly Community
Where are you located for giviing talks: Located in Central Illinois
What do you like at Dementia Friends: “I like Dementia Friends for the outreach and education about Dementia. Many of us are impacted by Dementia in some way and I think it is important for people to be talking about it and becoming aware of how to help.”
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Service Area 8: AgeSmart Community Resources
- Joy Paeth
Service Area 9: Midland Area Agency on Aging
- Nancy Hinton
Service Area 11: Egyptian Area Agency on Aging
- Elaine Jurkowski
Service Area 12: Chicago
Karen Lowe Graham, PhD (c)
Where you work: Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center
What Dementia Friendly Community are you a part of: Soon to be Dementia Friendly Washington Heights, We are also a sponsor of the South Loop Memory Cafe’
Where are you located for giving talks: Chicagoland/ Cook; virtually: anywhere
What you like about the Dementia Friends and/or Dementia Friendly programs: “As a former AD family caregiver, I found it invaluable to have friends and colleagues who were knowledgeable about the disease and resources to help me. Dementia Friendly programs help to educate the wider community about AD and some tools to support those in need.”
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Service Area 13: Suburban Cook County
Wendy de Leon
Where you work: AgeOptions