Dementia Friends Washington recently offered its first-ever Dementia Friends Information Session in Vietnamese.
By Katie Zeitler
Dementia Friends Washington is dedicated to raising awareness about dementia and encouraging dementia-friendly action across the state. With over 103,000 Vietnamese Americans living in Washington and Vietnamese ranked among the most commonly spoken languages here, it was essential for the Dementia Friends program materials to be translated and culturally adapted into Vietnamese for this population.
Dementia Friends Washington recently offered its first-ever Dementia Friends Information Session in Vietnamese. Split into two parts, these sessions, held at Seattle’s Garfield Community Center in partnership with the Vietnamese Senior Association, welcomed 60 participants. Attendees gained new awareness around dementia, learned about tips to keep their brains healthy, and explored ways to take action to foster dementia-friendly spaces in their communities. The session also provided space for participants to ask thoughtful questions about dementia and brain health.
“It was a fantastic event spent with the Vietnamese community, and it was inspiring to see how much they care about holistic health. This marks a small but meaningful step toward raising dementia awareness," said Anh Dao.
To make this session a success, Dementia Friends Washington worked closely with a dedicated team to translate and adapt the Dementia Friends materials for cultural relevance and accessibility. The attendee workbooks were translated and designed specifically with this population in mind and included a larger font size and photographs for additional comprehensive of key points.
Collaborators included the ALZ Vietnamese Dementia Project, the Vietnamese Senior Association, and the Community House Calls Program at Harborview Medical Center. Dr. Kris Ma, Anh Dao, Dr. Khanh Luong, Asmeret Tesfalem, and Kim Lundgreen all played key roles in the translation, translation review, materials design, and interpretation.
Interpretation was provided during the sessions by Kim Lundgreen of Harborview Medical Center’s Community House Calls Program. Her deep connection to the community and expertise helped ensure a smooth and respectful interpretation.
Through efforts to break down language barriers, provide culturally adapted materials, and work alongside community leaders and partners, Dementia Friends Washington is helping support a more inclusive, dementia-friendly Washington for everyone. It is an exciting milestone to be able to offer Dementia Friends in Vietnamese.
If you would like to host a session in Vietnamese for your group, please contact Dementia Friends Washington Program Manager, Katie Zeitler karenadz@uw.edu. Sessions are free to host and materials are provided.
Find additional Vietnamese-language resources on dementia, provided by the Alzheimer’s Association
Sources:
Vietnameses Americans - by the Numbers (AAIP Data)
WA Sttate Language Access Plan (WA CAPAA)
