Creating Dementia-friendly communities

Dementia Australia describes a dementia-friendly community as a city, town or village where people with dementia are understood, respected and supported, and confident they can contribute to community life.

Your library can help create a dementia-friendly community by supporting library staff to understand dementia, and people with dementia and to help people with dementia remain actively involved in their community.

Steps to becoming a dementia-friendly library:

1. sign up to be a dementia friend and complete module one of the free online learning


2. read the dementia-friendly community toolkit.

The toolkit includes:

• Guidelines for organisations to become dementia friendly


• Information for staff on how to effectively communicate with people with dementia


• Information on existing resources which could be used to increase staff awareness about dementia


• Printable Dementia Brochure


• Creating Dementia-friendly communities checklists for outdoor and indoor areas


• Social engagement checklists

3. get people on-board. Join a local Dementia Alliance or form your own.


4. complete an Action Plan and submit it to Dementia Australia to be recognised by your local  state based consumer committee or the Dementia-friendly Communities Dementia Advisory Group


5. your action plan may undergo some revisions before being recognised


6. promote your community both locally and on this website to raise awareness and bring dementia friendly organisations and groups into your community


7. stay involved, review and resubmit your action plan annually