Health educators ask Normal council to support Dementia Friendly Bloomington‑Normal initiative

Sarah Addick, a health and family educator with the University of Illinois Extension, used the public‑comment period at the May 4 Normal Town Council meeting to launch a community outreach step for the Dementia Friendly Bloomington‑Normal Initiative and asked the council to help spread the word.

"A dementia‑friendly community is one where individuals living with dementia are understood, respected, and supported, and where caregivers are not navigating these challenges alone," Addick said, explaining that the initiative formed a task force after an initial community meeting in March. She said the task force has launched a brief community survey "to better understand current knowledge, and awareness, and perceptions of dementia across the Bloomington‑Normal communities. The results will help guide the task force's planning and inform future education, training, and outreach efforts."

Addick asked council members to complete the survey themselves and to share it with residents, businesses and community partners; she said postcards with QR codes linking to the survey were available and that the survey would close on June 15. Katherine Johnson, identified as a community liaison with the East Central Illinois Area on Aging, joined Addick and offered additional support for outreach.

The comments occurred during the public‑comment portion of the meeting near its close; no formal council action on the initiative was recorded at this meeting.