What is a dementia-friendly community?
A dementia-friendly community is a geographic area, be that a village, town or city, where people living with dementia and their carers feel understood, supported and respected. They feel confident that they can contribute to community life. A dementia-friendly community is a community made up of dementia-friendly individuals, businesses, organisations, services, and faith communities that support the needs of people with dementia.
Source – Alzheimer’s Society Code of practice for the recognition of dementia-friendly communities in England.
Dementia-friendly initiatives
Learn more about dementia, how you could reduce your risk of it, and make a Dementia Commitment to help to build a dementia-friendly New Zealand by taking our short online course. Developed by Professor Graham Stokes, Bupa’s Global Director of Dementia Care, Dementia Commitment is free, interactive and only takes around 20 minutes.
Explore how dementia-friendly works in real life with these examples from New Zealand:
- A dementia friendly garden: Bupa Hugh Green Care Home
- A dementia friendly Retirement Village: Bupa Fergusson was the first in NZ to receive a dementia-friendly award.
- A dementia-friendly bank: Westpac is New Zealand's first dementia friendly bank
- Raising awareness of dementia through art: Rotorua hosted an interactive, eye-catching light sculpture display that grabbed the publics attention and helped raise awareness of dementia.
First Steps to a Dementia-Friendly Rotoura
Bupa is part of a dementia-friendly steering group supported by Rotorua Lakes Council. The aim of the group is to create a dementia-friendly Rotorua. Find out more in the
First Steps to a Dementia-Friendly Rotorua report (pdf, 779kb)
