Tulsa is the first Oklahoma city to join a network dedicated to helping Alzheimer’s and dementia sufferers.
The Dementia Friendly America Network provides training and information to businesses and other organizations to help identify and better serve people suffering from cognitive decline. Mayor G.T. Bynum said around 6,000 Tulsans suffer from some form of dementia, and a person suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia typically has at least three caregivers, usually unpaid family members..
"Someone could have it as long as 20 years, and so we want Tulsa to be a city that embraces those people, that is accessible to those people, that helps them get around the community and be active members of our city," Bynum said.
Lindsay Morris with Saint Simeon’s Senior Community said the main goal of the Dementia Friendly America Network is to increase awareness.
"To educated the banks, the grocery stores, the restaurants who will be seeing people every day who have dementia ... to help them identify, 'OK, this person might have a condition, and we might need to be a little more patient with them or ask a few questions before we let them take all the money out of their bank account or buy three Ferraris,'" Morris said.
A committee will also look for gaps in community services that could affect dementia sufferers. Tulsa Fire EMS Division Chief Michael Baker said they often respond to calls involving dementia sufferers. One family called around 100 times one year.
"We were really an integral part of that family's ability to keep them at home," Baker said. "And so, although we try to refer them to appropriate resources, understanding and making sure that we're aware of dementia and the impact it has on our community is very important to those who respond in emergency."
