10:00-11:00 a.m

23-K. How Residents with Dementia Transform a Community’s Culture

A dementia diagnosis can heighten stigma and withdrawal, leading older adults to experience social isolation and a loss of purpose. This session will explore how a life plan community developed an innovative adult day program that encourages residents living with dementia to plan twice-weekly volunteer initiatives that draw on their strengths. You'll learn how the program fosters belonging by integrating support from other residents and offering adult day participants meaningful service opportunities, such as creating artwork for Alzheimer's research, preparing meals for unhoused people, and arranging flowers for hospice patients. Discover how inclusion initiatives can transform campus culture and how residents can empower one another to build connection and campus-wide unity.

• Julie Hieshetter, Memory Support Manager, North Hill — Needham, MA, US
• Susan Downey, Director of Healthcare, North Hill — Needham, MA, US
• Harriet Tolpin, Resident, North Hill — Needham, MA, US
• David Donohue, Resident