ABOUT US
Our History
Dementia Friendly Fort Worth is part of a nationwide initiative that encourages and assists an all-sectors approach. By taking an all-sectors approach to build engagement across America’s communities, the Dementia Friendly America initiative offers a national collaborative of more than 35 leading organizations to develop best practices to foster “dementia friendly” communities across the United States.
Linda Abel, president of Dementia Friendly Fort Worth, served as a nurse for Assisted Living Communities and after retirement she searched for how she could make a difference in her faith community and her community at large. This led to expanding a dementia education program which started at First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth Texas in May of 2017. She developed a year-long series of educational sessions which provide much needed education for professionals and care partners serving those living with dementia.
Dementia Friendly Fort Worth was created in January of 2018. This is an effort to educate all sectors of the community about dementia and better ways to care. Linda has given selflessly to see this effort take shape and serves as President of Dementia Friendly Fort Worth.Almost 22,000 Fort Worth residents are diagnosed with dementia. Linda’s non-stop, never-give-up attitude is recruiting and inspiring individuals and organizations
across the community to become involved in this effort. With a mission to incite permanent transformation of dementia care education for nursing students, Linda has developed key relationships with several major hospitals and universities to help create a more Dementia Friendly care model.Linda envisions Fort Worth as a city where those who live with dementia can function more productively within their community and where nurses enter the medical field steeped in the principles of person-centered approach to dementia care. In her mission to help change the education model for those who serve in assisted living communities, Linda’s work is a beacon for understanding how this disease process calls for changes in how we care for people diagnosed with dementia and their families.
Her tenacious work has prompted over 800 to registered for a workshop with dementia educator Teepa Snow on September 7. This event will continue to fuel efforts for a Dementia Friendly Fort Worth!
Dementia Friendly Fort Worth will be a community with broad awareness and recognition of the signs of dementia and with people who know how to communicate with people with dementia—THEY NEED Dementia Friends. Will you become a Dementia Friend? Visit the website DementiaFriendsUSA.org