A new, grassroots community initiative “Dementia Friendly Berks County” launched this month to increase understanding and inclusion of people living with dementia here in the Berks County Area. Natalie Mott, Heather McCool, and Danika Grassley, all of Celebration Villa of Exeter, a Personal and Memory Care Community in Exeter township, will lead this community effort as part of Dementia Friendly Pennsylvania, which supports dementia friendly communities across the state and is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging.
Over 400,000 people in Pennsylvania are living with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia, and this number is anticipated to rapidly increase in the years to come.
The mission of “Dementia Friendly Berks County” is to support people living with dementia and their care partners by raising awareness, increasing knowledge, and reducing the stigma around dementia. A dementia friendly community is an informed, inclusive environment where people living with dementia can meaningfully and safely participate in everyday community life.
To achieve this, “Dementia Friendly Berks County” will engage and partner with organizations across the community such as the local government, first responders, health care organizations, libraries, senior centers, faith communities, restaurants, grocery stores, banks, and most importantly, people living with dementia and their care partners.
Celebration Villa of Exeter has been a pillar of the senior living community in Exeter Township for the last 25+ years. While having operated under different names including Outlook Pointe and Elmcroft of Reading in the past, the team today still holds to the same community vision – to provide the highest quality of care to seniors living in the community.
In April of 2024, Celebration Villa of Exeter celebrated the long anticipated opening of a new secured memory care unit under the name “Along the Journey” – paying homage to not only the journey those living with dementia experience, but the journey it takes caregivers and loved ones on as well. Today, just months after opening, “Along the Journey” is at 100% occupancy, and has been since just weeks after opening, a clear indicator of the increasing need for dementia services and awareness in the greater Berks community.
Natalie, Heather, and Danika, all Certified Dementia Friends Champions, chose to launch this initiative after witnessing first hand the need for increased awareness in Berks County over their combined 45+ years of working in the senior living industry and serving those living with dementia. In their roles as Director of Sales and Marketing, Executive Director, and Memory Care Coordinator, respectively, each of them has an opportunity to further this mission through a different path. Danika, Memory Care Coordinator, utilizes Dementia Friends Information Sessions as tools in her training kit for new employees and families.
Heather, Executive Director, who also serves as the President for the Exeter Community Education Foundation and is a Certified Validation Teacher (a specific dementia focused approach to communication) hopes to grow the interest in this initiative in schools and youth groups. Natalie, Director of Sales and Marketing, looks to increase awareness and inclusion among other healthcare professionals and local businesses.
“Dementia Friendly Berks County” is one of the growing numbers of dementia friendly communities in Pennsylvania supported by Dementia Friendly Pennsylvania, a program of the Pittsburgh-based Jewish Healthcare Foundation. On a national level, USAging oversees Dementia Friendly America; forty-three states have Dementia Friendly Community efforts to date.
One of the “Dementia Friendly Berks County” first goals is to establish a Community Action Team. Individuals, organizations, and businesses from any sector are invited to join the Team. Those wishing to support growing the “Dementia Friendly Berks County” initiative can meet with any Community Lead. Dementia Friends Information Sessions are also available for any organization or group wishing to become a Dementia Friend! To get involved or schedule an Information Session, contact Natalie Mott at Celebration Villa of Exeter at email: nmott@celebrationvillasl.com or phone: 610-370-2211.
