Spencer County Indiana

Wood Memorial High School Adds Dementia Friends

Indiana Into Its Curriculum

Evansville, IN – On Monday, April 15, Wood Memorial High School in Oakland City, Indiana became the first high school in the state of Indiana to incorporate the Dementia Friends Indiana (DFI) Information Session into its curriculum. Linda Wright, Dementia Friends Coordinator, with the Southwestern Indiana Regional Council on Aging (SWIRCA & More) and Jean Ross, Dementia Friends Champion from central Indiana co-hosted the first information session with Wood Memorial High School Teacher Sally Morton and her students.

The Dementia Friends Indiana Initiative was adopted in 2017 as part of a global movement to break down the stigma surrounding dementia and implement practical changes that can make life easier for those with dementia and for their loved ones. First administered by CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions, Indiana became the 10th Dementia Friendly state in the Country.

Ms. Morton who is a nurse and teaches dementia care classes at Wood Memorial High School

contacted both Wright and Ross after receiving a flyer about the Dementia Friends program and a forthcoming interactive webinar entitled “Your Community Matters: Let’s Talk About Dementia”. The collaborative online sessions were conducted by the University of Southern Indiana, SWIRCA & More, the Alzheimer’s Association, and Generations, and addressed a variety of topics related to dementia and caregiving, including how communities can be dementia friendly, how to become a Dementia Friend, legal and financial planning, and advance care planning.

After attending the afternoon webinar session with her students, Ms. Morton contacted the Central Indiana Council on Aging (CICOA), who is the state administrator for DFI, to see how she could incorporate DFI into her class curriculum. In addition to teaching her students about dementia care, she will also be educating them about the services and resources that SWIRCA & More provides to area seniors.

“She is ahead of her time and a model for other teachers, said Linda Wright. Studies show that ¼ of the caregivers of persons living with dementia (PLWD) are part of the “sandwich generation” who is caring for a child under 18 as well as the PLWD. We need to educate all age groups on dementia.”

SWIRCA & More is proud to join this growing movement by bringing this vital initiative to Southwestern Indiana. SWIRCA & More is dedicated to helping those in our community living with dementia and their caregivers to get the support they need.

SWIRCA & More is a not-for-profit, 501(c)3, public service organization that focuses its efforts on empowering seniors and people with disabilities to remain living safely in their own homes by providing information and supportive services. SWIRCA & More is Indiana’s 16th Area Agency on Aging covering a six-county area including Gibson, Perry, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh and Warrick counties. For more information on SWIRCA & More or Dementia Friends Indiana, please visit www.swirca.org or call 812-464-7800.