The Purple Angel program has grown from one small town in the UK to a global effort to help communities become more dementia-friendly. In January 2012, Norman McNamara, a resident of Torbay, Devon, UK who had been diagnosed with dementia at the age of 50, was out shopping and had an unhappy experience with an impatient shopkeeper. He realized this person lacked information and decided to change the way people see dementia and treat their neighbors who have been stricken with the disease.
Dementia Friendly Community Initiatives around the world such as Whitewater’s, have adopted the Purple Angel as one of their primary means of educating the public. Training is available to organizations such as stores, restaurants, offices, libraries, churches and services of all kinds. Employees and management receive a free 30-minute training session and then receive a Purple Angel logo to display at their entrance. In Whitewater, thirteen locations have earned the Purple Angel logo including churches, banks, offices, the public library and the Police Dept.
What does Purple Angel training cover? You will get an overview of changes in the brain which cause certain behaviors, recognizable as signs of dementia. You will get tips for how and why to communicate with patience, kindness and a friendly manner. You will learn how to make your space more dementia-friendly and where to find resources in your community and on-line to learn more.
Every new Purple Angel logo means a few more people have changed their thinking and have helped people with dementia find it easier to navigate their world and remain engaged in community life.
For more information: https://purpleangel-global.com/
https://dementiafriendsusa.org/become-a-dementia-friend
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This article submitted by Dementia Friendly Community Initiative, a program of Whitewater Seniors in the Park to help inform the community about dementia and to support patients and caregivers. New members are always welcome! Contact jjackson@whitewater-wi.gov or call Jennifer at 262 473 0535.
