Many agencies that drive the work of the Caregiver Coalition of Northeast Florida are also involved in other initiatives throughout the community that go hand-in-hand with the work of the Coalition. The Dementia Care and Cure Initiative (DCCI) is one such project, and the Caregiver Coalition is taking advantage of a collaborative opportunity to merge with the DCCI Task Force of Jacksonville.
The Dementia Care and Cure Initiative was created on behalf of the Department of Elder Affairs in 2015 to engage communities across the state to be more dementia-caring, promote better care for Floridians affected by dementia and support research efforts to find a cure. Jacksonville and Northeast Florida are a driving force in this effort. Duval county has nearly 10,000 residents living with dementia and roughly 20,000 more individuals are caregivers. These numbers continue to grow every year.
By joining forces, both the Caregiver Coalition and the DCCI Task Force of Jacksonville gain the ability to leverage additional resources, amplify the work of each effort and create a strong foundation on which to advance the missions of both, ultimately supporting the needs to caregivers in the community and of those persons living with dementia.
Together, the Caregiver Coalition and DCCI Jacksonville Task Force can further drive efforts supporting those living with dementia, including:
Hosting educational workshops to inform community stakeholders of the need and benefits of creating dementia-friendly communities;
Hosting dementia-sensitivity training workshops for staff in local restaurants;
Working alongside the arts community to create engagement opportunities for those living with the disease and their caregivers.
To learn more about the Dementia Care and Cure
Initiative, check out this flyer or visit http://elderaffairs.state.fl.us/doea/dcci.php
To learn more about Dementia Friendly America, visit https://www.dfamerica.org/