Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Dementia And Aging Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Local champions outline dementia resources, training and proposed Nevada Memory Network
Summary
Presenters from Dementia Friends Nevada and Lumina gave the Senior Citizens Advisory Board an overview of community supports, training opportunities and proposed state efforts to expand memory clinics and dementia services.
Nicole Graham, executive director of Lumina and a champion for Dementia Friends Nevada, and Stacy Dubovich, MHSCA and community relations liaison, told the Senior Citizens Advisory Board on May 1 that cities and businesses can help people living with dementia by learning simple communication techniques and joining community training sessions.
Dementia Friends Nevada, the presenters said during the board’s Item 5 presentation, is “a global movement that is changing the way people think, act, and talk about dementia” and aims to destigmatize the condition and keep people living with dementia connected to community life. Graham said the movement began in the United Kingdom and now has a Nevada chapter; both Graham and Dubovich serve as local champions.
The presentation emphasized how common and costly dementia is and why early recognition and community awareness matter. “Nearly 7,000,000 Americans are living with Alzheimer’s” and caring costs were presented as an estimated $360,000,000,000 in 2024 rising toward mid-century projections cited by the speakers, the presentation said. The presenters gave Nevada-specific figures: almost 55,000 Nevadans with a diagnosed Alzheimer’s condition, about 84,000 unpaid caregivers, and an estimated 142,000,000 total unpaid caregiving hours valued at roughly $2,600,000,000 in unpaid care.
The presenters described concrete steps that businesses, transit staff, library workers and neighbors can take when they encounter someone who appears disoriented: use calm body language, speak slowly and specifically, offer to call a family member, check for an emergency ID such as an Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return bracelet and, if safety is a concern, notify authorities and stay with the person until help arrives. In stores or restaurants they advised staff to ask specific questions (“Would you like the sandwich?”) and to assist with payment or calling a ride when needed.
Chuck McClatchy, identified in the meeting as a member of Dementia Friendly Nevada and an advocate, read a personal anecdote used in Dementia Friends training called the “bookcase story” to illustrate how different types of memory and skills decline at different stages. “My bookcase right now, the top level has been missing some books,” McClatchy said, describing how some memories are lost while others remain.
Board members asked about state legislative work cited by the presenters. Dubovich described AV337 as a bill that “would create the Nevada Memory Network, which would facilitate the expansion of memory assessment clinics, training of primary care providers … and services needed to support those living with the disease.” She also summarized a recent Medicare benefit called the GUIDe (Guiding Improved Dementia Experience), which she said will allow eligible Medicare beneficiaries with dementia access to up to $2,500 annually for respite services under certain conditions.
Board members and speakers discussed training for first responders. One board member noted an amendment to SB 329 that removed peace officers from a training requirement; presenters said they encourage including police, fire and EMS in dementia training but could not confirm the final legislative outcome. Dubovich said local efforts include outreach to police and fire departments to offer education even as the legislative process continues.
Graham and Dubovich invited board members and senior-center staff to become Dementia Friends “champions” who can deliver the standard training locally. They listed upcoming training dates and locations, including a May 12 session at the Lieberman Center and additional champion training offered by UNR (dates in late May, including sessions in English and Spanish). The presenters said the full Dementia Friends session is typically 90 minutes but noted they can deliver condensed versions for community groups and train new champions to lead sessions themselves.
Why this matters: presenters framed dementia awareness as a public-health and community-support issue that affects families, employers and emergency services. They urged early detection, broader clinician training and more local caregivers and geriatric specialists in Nevada.
The board did not take formal action on the presentation; Graham and Dubovich offered to return and provide training to senior centers and board members.
