Welcome! We are a group of people who organize, facilitate, or participate in dementia-friendly community efforts in Washington State.
We meet online from 3-4:15 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month to inspire, equip and support expansion of dementia-friendly community efforts by sharing with and learning from each other.
Currently, our focus is on dementia-friendly programs in community spaces. Examples might include a Memory Cafe meetup at a local restaurant, neighborhood walking group, museum gallery tour, improv workshop at the theater, community service group at a faith congregation, dementia chorus at a senior center, and more -- basically any open-to-the-public, live or virtual social engagement, arts, fitness or volunteer program designed for and with persons with dementia and their families. We may expand to other topics related to dementia-friendly communities in the future.
Who attends our meetings?
- Staff or volunteers who manage programs at community-based organizations like senior centers, community centers, parks and recreation, libraries, cultural associations, faith communities, arts organizations, etc.
- Instructors and facilitators for dementia-friendly programs
- People with dementia and family caregivers who are taking a lead in their community or sharing from their lived experience
Each month, we alternative between theme-based sessions that explore a particular topic, and informal sessions that provide an opportunity for group members to seek input from each other on current challenges or questions. Please see below for 2026 session dates/topics:
- January 7: Hearing from the Experts - the Perspectives of Persons with Memory Loss
- February 3: Informal Session (Seek/Offer Program Advice)
- March 4: Getting the word out about your Dementia-Friendly Program
- April 7: Informal Session (Seek/Offer Program Advice)
- May 6: Funding your Dementia-Friendly Program
- June 3: Informal Session (Seek/Offer Program Advice)
- July 1: Challenging Group Dynamics in Dementia-Friendly Programs
- August 4: Informal Session (Seek/Offer Program Advice)
- September 2: Partnership and Programming
- October 6: Informal Session (Seek/Offer Program Advice)
- November 4: Memory Cafe Best Practices
- December 2: Informal Session (Seek/Offer Program Advice)
A Few Reminders
Our meetings are not intended to provide training in dementia care.
As we focus on public programs, we are not a good fit for people providing services in a private community or long-term care setting.
Our meetings are not a place to market services.
Sign Up Here to Receive Meeting Information
Our Planning Team
Marigrace Becker, Program Manager of Community Education and Impact, UW Memory and Brain Wellness Center
Lynne Korte, Dementia Care Program/Policy Analyst, Home and Community Services, Aging and Long Term Support Administration, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services
Kristoffer Rhoads, Neuropsychologist, UW Memory and Brain Wellness Center
Samantha Lafontaine, Program Manager, Project ECHO Dementia, UW