AARP Seeks Volunteers for New Montgomery County Dementia Friendly Initiative

AARP is proud to be part of a new Dementia Friendly America (DFA) initiative in Montgomery County. Montgomery County joins seven other communities across the nation in this movement, including Boston, Denver and Prince George’s County, MD. AARP has joined other organizations and community leaders, including the Montgomery County Area Office on Aging and BrightFocus.

We are currently looking for Montgomery County area residents to volunteer with us to help increase the success of this initiative! If interested in learning more, please email AARP Maryland's Outreach Director Jen Holz at jholz@aarp.org. Read on for more about the new initiative.

What are AARP's goals to begin implementing Dementia Friendly in Montgomery County?
To inform the public, particularly caregivers and elected leaders, about the importance of making the community a safer and more engaging place for those with dementia and to provide them with AARP resources and information about Dementia Friendly America that can foster this environment of safety and inclusiveness. This will be done in conjunction with the Age Friendly Community work that is in progress now.

How will AARP further the initiative?
Starting in late January 2017, AARP will begin to train new AARP Fraud Watch Network Volunteers who will carry the message into Montgomery County to various community based organizations, law enforcement, elected officials and caregivers about the importance of protecting a loved one with dementia from falling victim to a scam.

Immediately, we will disburse CARE Act wallet cards and flyers, Dementia Friendly America Flyers and conduct short presentations about the benefits of the CARE Act and creating a Dementia Friendly community. We will target those who are caring for a loved one with dementia who may be in poor physical health and making frequent trips in and out of medical facilities. We will work with local hospitals after receiving guidance from the Maryland Hospital Association regarding their outreach/training plan since the passage of the CARE Act. We will use the same tactic with elected officials, by engaging volunteers (their constituents) to physically place this information in their hands so they understand specifically how DFA and AARP Maryland are working to foster a dementia friendly community.

What does AARP need right now?
AARP is currently looking to assemble a volunteer team that is willing to conduct presentations, pass out flyers and talk one on one with caregivers! We want to provide the volunteer team with the following:

1) The power to identify and engage local groups in their own neighborhoods who might be interested in this information (we want these volunteers to utilize their own networks);
2) A flexible volunteer opportunity in which volunteers can donate as many or as few hours as they are able and utilize their own skills and interests.

If you are interested in learning more about how you can help with AARP's Dementia Friendly work in Montgomery County, please email AARP Maryland's Jen Holz at jholz@aarp.org with the subject line "Dementia Friendly Montgomery Help."

More information:

Dementia Friendly America
BrightFocus Foundation