For organizations that fight dementia, the disease is a powerful foe. Mounting an effective defense requires tools, strategies and support.
Dementia Friendly Ventura County aims to provide support in the form of resources tailored to the local community.
AlmaVia of Camarillo is proud to have recently received designation as a member of Dementia Friendly Ventura County. This partnership with the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging plays an important role in supporting individuals with cognitive impairment and the people and organizations that provide care.
What Is Dementia Friendly Ventura County?
DFVC is part of Dementia Friendly America, which assists organizations that meet certain criteria in creating tailored environments that meet the needs of individuals with dementia in the local community.
The national organization provides support to local groups through educational materials, guides and online tools. With this support, local organizations can better assess local needs and work alongside the community in creating strategies to help people with dementia and their caregivers.
One important goal is educating members of the public and individuals who work in public-facing jobs — including receptionists, cashiers and bus drivers — to recognize when someone has dementia and to offer help with a warm and patient demeanor.
In Ventura County, the effort is focusing on first assisting healthcare-related businesses in becoming more friendly to individuals with dementia. Support then will expand to other economic sectors.
Recognizing Dementia
Dementia is not a specific disease, but is a set of symptoms that can be attributable to a number of causes.
What are the signs and symptoms that can indicate dementia? Individuals with dementia may demonstrate problems with communication, memory loss, trouble paying attention or focusing and impaired judgment. In the real world, symptoms may manifest as challenges with keeping up with belongings, recalling appointments or performing everyday tasks like cooking.
Alzheimer’s disease causes as many as 80 percent of dementia cases. Vascular dementia, caused by strokes, also results in a significant number of cases.
At AlmaVia of Camarillo, our personalized memory care community focuses on providing residents with opportunities to connect with others and engage in ways that improve quality of life.
