Dementia Friendly Lackawanna County

GENERAL CONTACT INFORMATION:
 agefriendlylackawanna.com/dementia-friendly
 facebook.com/agefriendlylackawanna/

Mission

Dementia Friendly Lackawanna County’s mission is to provide a positive difference in our community for individuals living with dementia, their caregivers, and families through the delivery of the five key messages of the Dementia Friends program:

• Dementia is not a normal part of aging.
• Dementia is caused by diseases of the brain.
• It is not just about losing your memory.
• It’s possible to live well with dementia.
• There is more to the person than the dementia.

About Us

Lackawanna County has a robust dedicated network of nearly 30 organizations, originally forming as the Older Adult Isolation Collaborative. Since its inception in 2019, this initiative, led by the United Way of Lackawanna, Wayne, and Pike counties, focused on reducing social isolation and enhancing connectedness among older adults.

In 2024, the Collaborative rebranded as Age Friendly Lackawanna to expand its reach and committed to join the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities. Dementia Friendly Lackawanna is a key focus area of our Age Friendly commitment and led the collaborative to pledge to join Dementia Friendly Pennsylvania. Dementia Friendly Lackawanna County’s pledge was accepted in September 2024.

Successes to Celebrate:

• Dementia Friends in Lackawanna County are growing rapidly
• Dementia Champions in Lackawanna County continue to grow
• In Person Friend Sessions are being offered throughout Lackawanna County
• The Wright Center for Community Health hosted our Community Celebration, An Aging Symposium, which focused on presentations, resources, and community listening sessions to help provide input into building Dementia Friendly Lackawanna County!