Dementia is very much alive and real in our neighborhood. But when it strikes a parent or spouse, navigating care and understanding options is universally overwhelming.
But there’s help — and hope — right here. Juliette Fowler Communities will be opening its new wing for early stages of dementia this fall, says Ashley Thames Brown, chief advancement officer at Fowler.
“Due to the high cost of residential memory care, we are also opening an Adult Day Program centered on mild to middle forms of dementia,” she says. “This new program will affordably serve 30 people a day, five days a week, doubling current capacity.”
Statistics show that 12.6% of Dallas’ population has Alzheimer’s disease. Across the United States, Alzheimer’s affects 5.5 million Americans age 65 and older. Texas ranks fourth in the country in the number of Alzheimer’s cases and second in the number of Alzheimer’s deaths.
In addition to independent living, assisted living and affordable housing options for older adults, Juliette Fowler is a certified “I’m Still Here” Center of Excellence in Dementia Care. This paradigm shift in dementia attention meets people where they are in disease progression.
Thames Brown says tenets of this program reach beyond our neighborhood through a “Continuum of Cognitive Care” that improves outcomes for memory care residents and their families.
A key issue for those living with dementia and their loved ones is a lack of understanding and education on the subject. Fowler staff undergo extensive training that is key to program success; the training is done through the Hearthstone Institute at Abe’s Garden in Nashville.
Additionally, family and community members can receive training at Fowler or online by Dementia Friendly Dallas, which is a group of individuals, businesses and organizations that want to create an informed, safe and respectful community for dementia patients and their care partners.
The need for increased dementia-friendly training is directly due to the increase in all forms of dementia. When communities better understand the disease process and experience, Thames Brown says people with dementia experience a higher quality of life.
Is dementia on your radar? Fowler pros recommend three important first steps:
Attend free dementia-friendly training. Learn about what the person is going through and identify ways to help them.
Get a diagnosis. Symptoms and causes vary depending on the type of dementia.
Find a care-giver support group. Through a church or other organization, those ahead of you on the journey offer tremendous resources.
“We want Juliette Fower Communities to be the voice of dementia,” Thames Brown says.
“People with dementia are still there. They experience life differently, and we need to accommodate our behavior to accommodate them.”
You are not alone. Find help – and hope – today at Juliette Fowler. Visit fowlercommunities.org or call 214-827-0813.
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