Dementia Friendly Spots (DFS) are helping to create a dementia-friendly environment by encouraging and ensuring greater involvement, acceptance and safety of people with dementia, their relatives and caregivers, in society. The first DFS was opened on 11 July 2017, at the office of the Human Rights Ombudsman. After the initial openings of various DFS in 2017, the network was expanded in 2018, and the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities acquired its accolade as a DFS that same year.
During 2018, Spominčica (Alzheimer Slovenia) opened 130 DFS at different institutions across Slovenia. The majority of them were launched at nursing homes, pharmacies, libraries, companies, and social work centres, as well as at the National Institute of Public Health. Alzheimer Slovenia is honoured that in 2019, the Faculty of Social Work, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of the Interior and the First Police Directorate of Murska Sobota also launched DFS.
As at 20 December 2019, the network of Dementia-Friendly Spots included 206 organisations, assisting people with dementia and their relatives (who are, due to years of caring for a person with dementia, exposed to great psychological, physical and emotional stress). Employees at DFS in local areas are informing people with dementia and their relatives about the disease and its impact on daily life; about counselling and where to seek further help. They are also raising public awareness about dementia and outlining the importance of a timely diagnosis.
