The Town of Fountain Hills has joined a growing network of communities in the Dementia Friendly America program. Dementia Friendly America is a national network of communities, organizations and individuals seeking to ensure communities across the country are equipped to support people with dementia and their caregivers. Dementia-friendly communities foster the ability of people living with dementia to remain in the community and engage and thrive in day-to-day living. The Town of Fountain Hills is the 10th community in Arizona to receive the Dementia Friendly America designation.

“I am incredibly proud that the Town of Fountain Hills has partnered with community leaders and volunteers throughout the town, and region, to form a Dementia Friendly America program,” said Fountain Hills Mayor Ginny Dickey. “Our population is getting older, and dementia is a growing disease within our community. We must do everything in our power to provide knowledge and expertise to the residents of Fountain Hills. This program is another tool to accomplish just that.”

Over the next several years, Arizona is expected to experience the fastest growth of residents living with dementia in the United States. Fountain Hills recognizes this is a significant concern for all local residents. To proactively address those concerns, Fountain Hills is committed to building a dementia-friendly community by forming Dementia Friendly Fountain Hills.

This endeavor began when Councilmember Peggy McMahon attended a Dementia Friendly seminar in late 2021. The information provided at that conference was ideally situated to meet the needs of Fountain Hills, so the presenter was asked to participate in the Town’s Fountain Hills Cares forum on dementia in April 2022.

Following the positive response from the Fountain Hills Cares program, McMahon, Interim Town Manager Rachel Goodwin, Community Services Executive Assistant Patti Lopuszanski, Community Center Manager Jennifer Lyons, Community Center Program Manager Cheryl Ponzo, and Linda Rode, a community member who is not only a caretaker for a family member but also an ambassador of the Dementia Friendly America network. This group began the Dementia Friendly Core Committee.

Learning of the Dementia Friendly America designation for cities and towns, the committee agreed that Fountain Hills would benefit from such a designation and association and filed its application in January 2023. The application was quickly processed, and the Town was honored with the Dementia Friendly America designation in March.

As a dementia-friendly community, Fountain Hills is committed to being a town that is informed, safe, and respectful of individuals living with the disease, their families, and caregivers, and the Town is dedicated to providing supportive options to foster quality of life through supportive community connections.

Learn more about Dementia Friendly America at dfamerica.org.