CHAMPAIGN, Ill – On December 5, Champaign-Urbana was officially recognized as a Dementia Friendly community. The Dementia Friendly Community recognition comes from Dementia Friendly America®. Dementia Friendly America is a national collaborative group whose mission is to encourage communities that are equipped to support those with dementia, as well as their families, friends, and caregivers. As a Dementia Friendly community, Champaign-Urbana joins over 400 other communities in 42 states where community members are coming together to learn, collaborate, and better serve those with dementia, as well as their caregivers.
“We are so honored to have received this recognition,” said University of Illinois Extension Family Life Educator Emily Harmon. “We are excited to offer dementia friendly education and awareness to various business sectors in the new year.”
This grassroots effort is a group effort from the Dementia Friendly Champaign-Urbana Task Force and Action Team, which formed in late 2024.
Representatives from the following organizations joined forces to form the Dementia Friendly Champaign-Urbana Task Force and Action Team: Age-Friendly Champaign, Family Service Champaign County, University of Illinois Extension, East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging, Champaign Park District, CRIS Healthy Aging, University of Illinois CHAD, Urbana Free Library, Carle Hospital, Synergy Home Care, Champaign County Veterans Commission, Senator Faraci’s office, Care Horizon, PennGlobal Insurance, St. Patrick Catholic Church, News-Gazette, Nurse Next Door, ClarkLindsey, Champaign County Regional Planning Commission, MTD, and Amber Glen Memory Care.
Dementia Friendly America is a national collaborative group whose mission is to encourage communities that are equipped to support those with dementia, as well as their families, friends, and caregivers. There are numerous ways for a community to become more dementia friendly. Some of which include raising awareness about dementia, encouraging others to act in raising awareness, supporting families, friends, and caregivers through providing accessible information, resources, and support, and fostering welcoming and supportive communities.
To become a Dementia Friend or learn more about dementia, please visit www.dementiafriendsusa.org and www.ilbrainhealth.org .
To learn more about Illinois Extension’s brain health program, visit go.illinois.edu/brain-health or contact Emily Harmon at ebaine@illinois.edu or call 217-333-7672.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy.