Dementia Friendly Maquoketa

Dementia Friendly Maquoketa is committed to providing educational programming and necessary improvements to prepare all sectors of its community to address the growing opportunities and needs faced by people living with dementia, their families, caregivers, employers and the community as a whole. Dementia Friendly Maquoketa is guided by a cross-sector team that includes individuals impacted by dementia, representatives from local Area Agency on Aging, faith-based organizations, health care providers, the local library system and many more community partners. Dementia Friendly Maquoketa is a community partnered with the Dementia Friendly Iowa initiative of Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging (NEI3A). The Dementia Friendly Maquoketa initiative has been implementing and evaluating the impact of Dementia Friends sessions and has developed structure identified post assessment of SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats). The Action Team members plan to engage with other organizations that show an interest in Dementia Friends and will soon develop subcommittees that will focus on branding, education and programming. Dementia Friendly Maquoketa has also been able to have three Dementia Friends trained as a Dementia Friends Champion, which will provide the vehicle to ensure education in our community is driven to create kindness and compassion when approaching and/or helping individual’s living with dementia.