PETAL—After being designated a dementia-friendly city—one of only two in Mississippi—Petal is now moving forward with new programs to support residents living with dementia.
The city’s efforts are being led in partnership with the Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District and Southern Grace Senior Home Care. Together, they plan to educate local businesses, improve access to care and promote community awareness.
City and Community Plans
“We’re going to make concerted efforts to make our community more friendly toward those with dementia,” said Shawn Elkins, executive director of Southern Grace. “That can mean providing direct access to care and to resources—to transportation—but it also means educating, working with local businesses—everything from bankers to retailers—to identify the signs of dementia.”
Petal officials say the designation will lead to tangible programs for residents. The city’s first goals are to create a community where people living with dementia or caring for those with dementia have a place to go for resources.
“Underrepresented, that can lead to frustration and a whole bunch of other issues, so making them feel (supported) … is extremely important.” Elkins said. “It’s going to make the community more inclusive. It’s going to make us more accessible.”
Building Support Programs
Memory cafes will be among the city’s first initiatives. They will offer a welcoming space for those living with dementia and their caregivers to gather, enjoy music and crafts, and share experiences—all at no cost. Events will be held at the City of Petal Senior and Veteran Center.
“People living with dementia and their caregivers can come together,” Elkins said. “They can interact with one another, they can have shared experiences and they can learn.”
Elkins said the cafes and other resources are designed to help people stay connected and supported for as long as possible.
“We want them to stay independent as long as possible, because that’s our independence,” Alderman Drew Brickson added. “You’re burning two flames—the spiritual flame of the person … who has the disease—and then the one who’s the caregiver.”
Petal Mayor Tony Ducker said the city is providing physical space and support for the programs without straining the budget.
“We’re just using the resources that are already available to us,” Ducker said. “They made it so easy. They are going to do a lot of the work, a lot of the stuff, so we’re providing a building. We’re providing some of the physical support.”
Ducker also highlighted the importance of early planning for families affected by dementia.
“One of the gentlemen here tonight handles legal services,” he said. “That’s something you really don’t think about. A lot of times you think about it when it’s too late, when someone—maybe at a hospital or some medical provider—says we can’t really talk to you because you don’t have the documentation.”
Behind new programs are city leaders who’ve seen firsthand how dementia affects families.
Understanding the Impact
For Brickson, who represents Ward 5, the issue is personal. He said his family was directly impacted by dementia when his grandfather became ill.
“(It’s not) until you actually sit down and talk with somebody who’s going through this disease, that you realize the hurt that’s there,” he said. “The person I grew up knowing as my grandfather—that wasn’t him—but it was him.”
Now, Brickson said, he hopes Petal can support other families facing the same challenges.
“That’s what we’re trying to do as a dementia friendly city,” he said. “This is a battle, and if you’re not prepared for battle, then we need to arm you.”
Elkins said dementia is more common than most people realize.
“A lot of people in our community have no idea how prevalent dementia is,” he said. “Chances are, if you’re not living with it or caring for somebody who has it, you know someone who is experiencing those troubles.”
Around 100 people receive care from Southern Grace Senior Home Care, he said, and one out of three of them suffer from dementia.
Nationally, one in nine people above the age 65 have Alzheimer’s, a common form of dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Nearly 12 million Americans provide unpaid care for people with dementia.
“The bravest people I’ve seen is the spouses who are dealing with this, with their loved ones,” Brickson said. “I don’t know where they get that strength from.”
Globally, dementia is the seventh leading cause of death. Mississippi is home to more than 62,000 people living with Alzheimer’s and has the highest mortality rate from the disease.
“If you don’t know someone in your family that has had this, you more than likely know somebody at your church, your business or in your community,” Ducker said. “The biggest thing as a community is that we would reach out, put our arms around folks, tell them we love them and try to tap into these resources.”
City officials said they hope the designation will serves as a model for other Mississippi communities working to become more dementia-friendly.
This article first appeared on RHCJC and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.