Ohio Council for Cognitive Health

The Ohio Council for Cognitive Health is the state lead in Ohio for the dementia friends program and is a recognized national leader in the movement. Dementia friends is a global, call-to-action movement developed by the alzheimer's society in the united kingdom and now underway in the united states under the leadership of usaging. The goal is to help everyone in a community understand how dementia impacts individuals and families while focusing on that which we can each do to make a difference in the lives of those affected. In this free, virtual, in-person or hybrid one-hour session we cover the basics of dementia including common types, signs and symptoms, communication tips, community resources and more while emphasizing positive messaging and dementia stigma reduction. While the program is designed to reach audiences in all community sectors we have developed and are presenting 18 sector-specific programs that are being offered statewide through many channels including our gwep and acl grants. In addition, we are the first program in the country to begin developing self-paced, on-line, on-demand programs to meet the needs of specific sectors

This guide provides a road map for all libraries and other organizations throughout the community that want to become dementia friendly. It offers a pathway to the goals of dementia inclusivity, so it is useful thought the communityno matter what role a sector plays. It is a guide in the true sense of the word in that it offers a pathway to the shared goals around dementia inclusivity and community equity.this guide invites libraries and other organizations to join together to ensure that those living with a dementia diagnosis, and their care partners, remain engaged in the life of their communities. It includes 60 detailed activity kits that are intended to retain preserved ability and foster new connections. These kits can be used in a wide variety of settings. The 3-part, 130-page guide is available online in a user friendly highly accessible format. Libraries around the state and country are not only accessing our resources but also developing additional dementia inclusive programs and initiatives that build on our work.

The Ohio Council for Cognitive Health has been designated by dementia friendly america (a part of usaging) as the state lead for creating, sustaining and growing dementia inclusive communities in Ohio. "a dementia-friendly or inclusive community is a village, town, city or county that is informed, safe and respectful of individuals living with dementia, their families and caregivers, and provides supportive options that foster quality of life." (dfa)along with our national lead, dementia friendly america (dfa), we are helping communities throughout our great state become dementia friendly. Just as we have worked hand in hand with people living with dementia and their care partners, we are continuing our efforts by collaborating hand in hand with many local, regional and national partners by developing resources and programmatic activities to assist them as they nurture and sustain dementia friendly initiatives. Our new web-based platform is proving to be superb resources for communities considering moving down this path.as part of this initiative, we provide: support for addressing dementia as a public Health priority; information about brain Health and other resources; a focus on what matters most to those impacted by dementia by involving people with dementia and their care partners in our hand in hand approach; a learning collaborative; tools to create practical solutions; state and national social media presence; assistance with operational improvement; subject matter expertise; educational materials for community members; evaluation guidelines, metrics, and program performance measurement; trend monitoring and identification of new opportunities; and a framework for measuring inputs, outputs, outcomes, and impact.