WRENTHAM, MA — Cornerstone at Milford Assisted Living & Compass Memory Support believes it’s time for a better understanding of dementia. The senior community located in Milford, MA recently held a comprehensive Dementia Awareness & Sensitivity training for 30 Physical & Occupational Therapy team members at the Wrentham Developmental Center, as well as some of their Adaptive Physical Education instructors. 

Participants completed two workshops, The Dementia Experience, an immersive sensitivity training that lets participants feel what it is like to have dementia, and Understanding Dementia in the Real World, a presentation that explains what dementia is and provides communication tips for when someone exhibits symptoms of memory loss.

This professional program is an expansion of Cornerstone’s Dementia Friendly Communities Initiative, a public education campaign intended to combat the social stigma and misconceptions that accompany dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and related cognitive impairments. The ultimate goal is to provide free and accessible educational tools to help people better understand dementia and learn to become more compassionate and responsive to people with cognitive impairment. Cornerstone has already brought this training to area first responders, high school students, nursing and rehab centers, case managers and banks, and hopes to train many more.