"Get to know dementia to eliminate stigma against patients and their families, allowing them to participate in the active life of the community and thus improve their life quality", says Gabriella Salvini Porro, president of Federazione Alzheimer Italia, explaining the inspiring principle of the dementia-friendly community, "where listening, understanding and inclusion are key everyday words".
24 dementia-friendly communities, all over Italy, have accepted the challenge set by Federazione Alzheimer Italia. They have all committed to creating a network of citizens, capable of welcoming and involving people with dementia. Each territory designs its own unique initiatives, to suit the local population and culture. These initiatives are achieving good results, both in the communities that have been dementia-friendly for three years now, since the project started, as well as those communities which have recently joined.
Gavirate (Varese) and Catanzaro (in particular in the historic centre), two very distant cities geographically, are now united by their recent decision to join this network. Their first steps are aimed at training professionals who regularly deal with the public and are, therefore, often in contact with people with dementia. Traffic wardens, shopkeepers and librarians are among those who will now have free training to learn what dementia is, how to communicate properly with people with dementia and their families, how to intervene in difficult situations, and how to respect the dignity of people with dementia at all times.
Courses for local police forces are still active in Villaricca (Napoli), Arzignano (Vicenza) and Cremona. At Bari Municipio 2, a training course for employees of the "Spesa Più” supermarket chain was launched as part of the more extensive “Let's go to the supermarket” project. Various solutions were adopted after the markets had been inspected by people with dementia, such as a dedicated rooms to rest in, furnished with tables, chairs and magazines; special posters with bigger fonts; a special check-out and dedicated parking spaces.
In the town of Cavedine, Valle dei Laghi (Trento) the pedestrian streets contain a multisensory and cognitive stimulation path, with seven different workstations, located at strategic points (such as the main square, the post office, the health residence, the town hall)
There is a lot of focus on young people, especially in Abbiategrasso (Milano), which was the first dementia-friendly community in Italy, where the Bachelet High School students are active citizens in the service of the community, collecting information to identify obstacles and reference points. The teenagers of Albino (Bergamo) are also involved in dementia-friendly projects. In particular, in the CFP Hairdressing School, a specific project has just started, part of which involves providing haircuts for people with dementia, for a nominal fee, one day a week.
Alzheimer Cafés are also widely used. These are meeting places that become a territorial reference point for entire families. They exist in Carate Brianza and Lissone (Monza Brianza) Ivrea (Torino), Recco (Genova). In Giovinazzo (Bari), the meetings are hosted by the most central cafes in the city and are open to anyone who wishes to participate.
The 24 dementia-friendly communities in Italy, are:
Abbiategrasso (Milano), Alberobello (Bari), Albino (Bergamo), Arzignano (Vicenza), Bari Municipio 2, Carate Brianza (Monza Brianza), Catanzaro centro storico, Cicala (Catanzaro), Conegliano (Treviso), Cremona, Gavirate (Varese), Giovinazzo (Bari), Ivrea (Torino), Lissone (Monza Brianza), Monza -Triante, Nomi (Trento), Pinerolo (Torino), Recco (Genova), Scanzorosciate (Bergamo), Tradate (Varese), Comunità della Valle dei Laghi (Trento), Valpellice (Torino), Verona - San Zeno, and Villaricca (Napoli).
